


Bite me

by Livingshroom



Category: Big Brother RPF
Genre: Biting, Blood Drinking, Blow Jobs, Complete, Cutting, Dom/sub Undertones, Grinding, Hand Jobs, M/M, Marijuana, Mentions of Substance Abuse, Mildly Dubious Consent, No homo x1000, Possessive Behavior, Sexual Repression, Vampire!Frankie, Zach likes it rough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-02-22 15:06:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2512046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Livingshroom/pseuds/Livingshroom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I need a yes, baby.” Frankie's breath warmed Zach’s exposed neck, and he was close enough to taste victory flowing through those vulnerable veins. Frankie was salivating.</p><p>(Or: Frankie Grande is a vampire who has just broken his 50 year blood fast with a mortal mess named Zach Grande.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mess

"20 minutes remaining.” Frankie had known he was going to fail this test as soon as he walked into the room. The dizzying scent of blood made it impossible to focus on the paper as his fangs lowered and his head throbbed.

“Frankie, are you alright? You seem a bit shaken.” Ms Effermon adjusted her spectacles as she looked up from her computer to peer at his pained face. His left hand squeezed the metal of the desk, and he knew it would leave marks in the shape of his fingers.

“Huh? Um, I’m-,” He bit his lip to hold back a groan, “I’m nervous, that’s all.”

Frankie struggled to force a reassuring smile as black dotted his vision, and he swayed slightly in his seat. The scent of blood was standard, but the sheer quantity of this particular blood seeping from the human’s veins and the closed space made it sinfully tempting.

Frankie understood the importance of self control for survival, and even at his young age of a hundred his Mistress had drilled into him the necessity of not feeding close to where he lived. Still, this was blue balling, and, jumping jupiter, did he want to indulge.

Running a hand through his spiky blonde hair he tried to imagine his Mistresses scowling face, and the way she would purse her lips if she knew what he was thinking of doing...but _damn_! There was only so much he could take.

“5 more minutes.” The teacher’s voice was a buzzing at the back of his head, and he swatted it wearily away. All of his energy was intent on finding that human, and his hunter instincts overpowered his desire to finish a mere test. Who was it?

He could sense the human on his left, and he inhaled appreciatively.

“Whoops-a-daisy.” He dropped his pencil on the floor, disgusted that he was stooping to the old drop the pencil on the floor trick, but it was a classic. He twisted his head to see the source of his misery.

Spikey hair and an ungodly mess was what Frankie saw with a quick glance. Drool hung from the boys red lips, and his rosy cheek rested on his hand. The whole sight: his body, his unbrushed hair, and the sloppy cuts on his poorly concealed wrists and surely his thighs spelled trouble.

Frankie loved trouble.

He _wanted_ this boy so bad that his finger snapped his pencil into splintery bits. He _wanted_ the unstable mess of a boy for his own to do with what he pleased. Frankie _wanted_ trouble, and he always got what he _wanted_.

“Hand up your tests, put your last answers down, and don’t forget to- oh for christ’s sake Mr. Rance does this look like your bedroom?”

An exaggerated yawn, “Nah, my bedrooms got hot babes in it, and no one here fits the bill...No offense Ms. E.”

The class roared with laughter as the teacher fumbled with her spectacles, and Zach leaned back with a Cheshire grin, which told Frankie that this was a boy who wasn't afraid of falling down the rabbit hole. Frankie loved it: the blood, the mess, and the spotlight on the reckless boy who was at the center of his own imaginary stage. Fifty years of synthetic blood and clean behavior were going to be broken by _this_.

“See me after class again, Mr. Rance, that’s another F for the books.”

The bell rang, and Frankie reluctantly gathered his biology book as he was forced to walk away from the intoxicating aroma of defiance and damnation, “All the rest of you are dismissed.”

The primal need at the sight of that shirt collar sliding down to reveal a delicate neck was too much. It enticed him.

All he had to was sit through a period of Mr. Greke’s blabber about the properties of a triangle before the opportunity struck. He skipped gym for the chance to get closer to his precious prey and perhaps to taste some of the paradise that glowed beneath that skin.

“Smoking on school grounds, Zach. You do know that’s against school policy?”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” Zach threw the smoldering stick at his face, and Frankie easily caught it between his fingers. Frankie crushed the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger and threw it over his shoulder.

“What do you want, huh? I’m just trying to relax, okay, and I don’t want this to get ugly, right?” Zach reached into his pocket to retrieve another cigarette.

“I don’t want anything to get ugly either...You have enough _blood_ on your hands already," Frankie simpered.

Those red lips formed an o, and fear was written inside the lines that formed between his fine brows. Zach protectively crossed his arms across his chest, which was beating  defiantly, and Frankie wondered if Zach’s body could sense a predator approaching.

Zach stuttered, “How did you know that I, um, I...Listen up you fucking _stalker_ , I don’t know what your problem is, but if you tell anyone I’ll- I’ll-”

“What will you? Please go on, your threats are rather _endearing_ , but I’m here with a proposition for you that you won't want to refurse.” Frankie stepped forward, and Zach’s back hit the sink as he instinctively fled. Zach was putting on a tough boy act with his gritted teeth and narrowed trust, but his flickering eyes betrayed him. Was it a glimmer of _fear_ or _interest_?

“Who are you anyways? You’re-that-that pretty boy from biology class with his nose always in a book. W-what do you want?” Zach’s cigarette fell to the floor as he stuttered through a sentence. Frankie left no space between them until they were breathing the same air, and Frankie calmly rolled up the sleeves of Zach’s school uniform.

“My name is Frankie Grande. I’ve told you I’m here to make you an offer, and I won’t take anything you soon won’t willingly give. So calm down there, baby, and enjoy your lung cancer.” Frankie felt Zach's pulse trying to escape his cold fingertips, and he gently tsked at the tears that he could see welling up in those uncertain eyes. Blood, tears, sweat, and recklessness almost made him harden in anticipation.

“Fuck, what do you want? M-money? My parents are loaded so if you would get off, and I could-”

“ _Shhh_...I preferred the screaming. Begging is beneath you.” Frankie tenderly ran his fingers over the newly cut marks and how could he resist a sweet sample? Ah, it had been half a century, and even his tongue lightly lapping Zach’s skin was enough to make his eye’s flutter.

“Ugh, gross you sick little _fuck_! Let me go! Get the fuCK OFF OF M-” Frankie pressed a hand to that treacherous trap, but Zach continued thrashing violently and his muffled screams echoed throughout the cramped quarters.

“I’m sorry if you feel that I’ve been playing games with you, and I agree it was unprofessional of me, but it has been so long...Calm down, I’m going to make you an offer you won’t want to refuse, Zach. First, I’m going to release you, but no yelling or running. Good boy, now I promise that I can give you the high of a lifetime with my... _drugs_. In return you’ll indulge me whenever I choose, understood?”

Zach’s face had relaxed and the trembling had subsided after the word drug was mentioned, but Frankie waited to hear an affirmation. Frankie was desperate enough to try and polish his rusty silver tongue for a bite, but he hoped that Zach would be wise enough to accept the deal. Begging was below him.

“You’re scaring me, man. First, you play teacher’s pet and piss me off by bitching about my smoking, then you’re, um, licking my arm like a homo, and now you’re trying to sell me drugs? Nah, bro, I dunno what your game is but I already got myself a dealer, okay? Now. Leave. Me. Alone.” Zach spat at him, and the saliva dribbled down Frankie’s cheek.

Frankie raised an eyebrow and wiped away the liquid, but he took a respectful step back to let his prey think that he had a chance. Intimidation was clearly not the way to Zach’s heart, and in hindsight his approach had been weak. He took note of the way the boy’s voice had gone down an octave when mentioning the licking. _Interesting_.

“My only game is a mind blowing high for the both of us. Stay after school at the bleachers if you want a bite, and I promise you won’t be disappointed," Frankie offered.

Zach re-crossed his arms, and although he was still slightly panting gave him a reckless nod. Frankie could only suppress a laugh at the feeble bravado as he walked away from the glorious mess.

Frankie wanted to own him, and didn’t he always get what he wanted?

 


	2. Demon's Play

Frankie observed Zach carefully the rest of the day, and he tried to put a finger on what made him the glorious scandal he was. The boy’s companions were all more athletic than him, and though Zach tried to compensate with his charm and humour, Frankie could feel the distance between Zach and his so called friends.

Zach was a loner who loved an audience, and his audience was always admiring, but they kept their distance. Zach was not the type of boy Frankie figured would prefer his own company, but the glimpses he saw revealed him to be surprisingly introverted.

“You want to go back to my place later?” His girlfriend was an easy character to figure out. Frankie glanced at the thick makeup that covered her face and the peel away shirt.

“Later, maybe, I have football practice. Okay, Victoria?”

“Okay, but don’t forget this time, love ya.” They kissed more out of habit than interest, and Zach was the first to turn his back. His girlfriend’s hands lingered on him as he pulled away. Her natural scent was hidden beneath thick perfume, and his interest faded as she was swallowed up by the crowd.

The person that was closest to Zach was Cody- the school quarterback. Frankie’s heightened senses could detect the subtle way that Zach’s shoulders relaxed and his face opened up when Cody walked up to him. It was important, even in the rush that Frankie was to seal the deal, to observe the potential problems to his plan.

“You want to come back to my place after practice, Zach?” Cody slung his bronzed hand over Zach like he was his property, and Frankie felt his fangs lower at the threat of ownership. A threat could be easily dealt with, but Frankie held himself back to gain full comprehension of the two’s relationship.

“I’d love to, dude. Will...anyone else be there?” A hint of desperation with the scent of fresh sweat mixed in was faintly detectable. Zach had his whole neck exposed.

“Yah, practically the entire team is going, bro. Plus, I invited this new, smoke bomb, Ariana, and, of course, Victoria for you. I sent Caleb to get drinks and-”

“ _Oh_...I mean that sounds like a great time, and I would love to go. Obviously, you know I’m always down and I love hanging out with the whole squad but...I promised my Mom I wouldn't go out this weekend.”

“So, maybe next time then?”

“Next time then...” There voices were carried away by the pulsing of the crowd, and Frankie was left with a bitter taste in his mouth as he ran his tongue over his retreating fangs. Why was Cody clearly showing the signs of wanting possession but avoiding the chance to take what was being audaciously offered to him? Hadn't Zach looked so eager to bend over?  There was an imbalance in this dynamic.

Finally, after having done some research he decided to confront his Mistress. He had considered that begging for forgiveness might be easier than asking permission, but he felt like her words may bring clarity into his befuddled brain. Frankie could never live with himself if he did something that would endanger their relationship.

He found her spread on the hood of her car soaking in the rays of the sun with sunglasses and a black bikini. Frankie stared down at his Mistress, and he wondered if she was in the mood to listen to his case. His shadow covered her face.

“You’re going to turn into charcoal with the amount of time you spend in the sun, Ari. Are you _really_ going to that human’s party or have the rays just fried your brain?”

“Good manners were never your specialty, dear brother.” When his Mistress spoke, her lips barely moved. However, after a century he had learned that the sight of her brown locks down from their usual tight ponytail was a sign of an open mind, and he wondered if she was also considering feeding tonight.

“And you could never keep a poker face from me, darling. You haven’t let your luscious locks down since the 80’s. So tell me who the lucky mortal is?” Frankie decided to ask her directly her intentions for the evening.

His Mistress sat up, and Frankie made a show of letting his eyes sweep over her darkened flesh. They may have been creatures of primarily the night, but just as humans could roam the night so they could roam the day. In one elegant motion, she snapped off her sunglasses, and he was forced to stare directly into her eyes.

“Tell me, Frankie. Why do you accuse me of wanting to play behind your back when you show the signs yourself? I can smell arousal and blood on you. So why don’t you tell me who the unfortunate mortal is?” He stepped closer till he was between her thighs, and he stared straight into her piercing eyes.

“No one yet, sister of mine, but I’ll take the faint scent of blood on your breathe as affirmation for me to do as I like. Oh, and the perfume you used to cover up their scent is vile.” Frankie whispered into her ear, and his Mistress gasped. She grabbed him by the wrist as he tried to lean away.

“Alright, I’ve been feeding this morning, but I was planning to tell you, and it was my first time in fifty years. We will discuss our situations after the party in my dorm room, but I want you to know that we must be honest with our games. Go play, Frankie, but don’t let this be like last time.” The scent of perfume was dizzying, and Frankie wondered how much more his sensitive nose could endure today, “Remember. If this boy toy can not be trusted then simply glamour him and take what you want. Gentleman’s code be damned.”

“You know how I feel about glamour,” Frankie growled.

“Ah, yes. You were always a man of _honor_. Do you want a kiss on the cheek for good luck?”

“Kiss your mortal for me.” Frankie drew his hood over his face as he left his Mistress to damage her skin in peace. 

Frankie wouldn't say it to her face, but he hated the nerve she had to mock their rules of honor. How could she stand to feed without consent? It was akin to rape, no matter the pleasure that went with it, and he would never condone such behavior, but his Mistress was older and had seen much of the cruelties of this world. He dared not voice his concern.

Frankie could report her to The Order, but his Mistress had enough dirt on him to pour over his already tainted record and sentence him to death. Besides, a trip to Greenland far exceeded the trouble of a minor misdemeanor of the Demon's Code, and he hated paperwork. Frankie shook his head, but he chose to bite his tongue.

He went to the football field and watched the large thugs toss around a ball. Back when he was still mortal he had craved pleasure such as this, but now the mere thought of it was stale.

Zach, from what Frankie could remember of the sport, wasn't playing ball as good as the big boys. Even an amateur could tell that being red faced and sweaty before ten minutes had elapsed was poor form, and the lack of training showed.  In fact, Zach was mostly stumbling and yelling, and Frankie was confused as to how he had gotten onto the team.

Coach Derrick blew the whistle, and he gestured for Zach to come over. From all the way across the field, Frankie see or hear what they were saying. Lip reading was his Mistresses specialty, but a gentle breeze brought with it the stench of tears and humiliation.  

Zach threw his helmet down and marched off the field into the woods.

His teammates laughed, and only Cody didn't seem amused by the newest development in the _Series of Zach’s Struggles_. Did anybody but Frankie know of the red stains that stretched across that flesh? Did anybody but him know of the overwhelming fumes of failure and resignation that emitted throughout Zach’s aurora? Did anyone _care_?

Frankie discreetly slipped out from the bleachers and leaped over the top of the fence into the woods. Frankie would seal the deal before the full moon was over.

_When friends are away, demons will play._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frankie does a little research, talks to the luscious Ariana (a.k.a his creator), and follows Zach into the woods. I can 100% guarantee next chapter will be steamy! ;)
> 
> Comment/like if you enjoyed this build up!


	3. Trial Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zach gets a taste of whats to come and Frankie has a little fun.

“It’s dangerous all alone in the woods, little boy. Don’t you know that’s where the big, bad monsters are?”

Goosebumps rose on Zach’s exposed skin, and he inhaled sharply as Frankie made himself visible. His accelerated heartbeat was a sweet sound to Frankie’s ears.

Frankie admired Zach. Zach had the art of being a wreck down to the genius of Picasso, and his work was his body. His eyes were red rimmed like they had been painted by the passionate strokes of a master brush, and his lips were the same shade of misery. His face was an open canvas torn with the trauma of not living up to his own expectations.

“You’re that- fuck it, I don’t even have any energy left to tell you to leave me alone. At least my stalker cares enough to follow me, huh? Not that any of my ‘friends’ would bother. Not even Cody...How much did you see?”

“Enough to know that you could use something to cheer you up. My name’s Frankie Grande, by the way, new transfer student, and Zach Rance’s #1 stalker.” He sat close enough to Zach that there knees skimmed each other, and Frankie let Zach open himself up. A predator was patient when he set up his trap, and Frankie planned to be meticulous.

“Well, Frankie. Coach kicked me out. Says I could use some time to ‘clear my brain.’ I bet a fucking snitch told him about all the things I’ve been shooting and snorting. Huh, funny, I’d be grateful if it wasn't for...” Zach drifted off and pulled a white stick out of his pocket. He lit the cigarette up and blew rings of grey into the air. The horrendous stench dragged Frankie back to his childhood for a painful moment.

“Why do you do it? You seem too young to have seen the pains of this world, and old enough to know better.”

“Oh, I could tell you stories that would make your limp hair curl, pretty boy, but I don’t smoke because of what is in the world. I do it because of what isn't in this world.” Zach sucked viciously at death, and Frankie almost wanted to tolerate the smell to see those hollowed cheeks and the light burning in his eyes again.

Frankie spoke carefully as he moved into Zach’s space, “From what I've seen so far, the world is made by the eyes of the beholder; it's like abstract art. Depending on who you are and what you lived through you can fall in love with paint splattered on a canvas or you can hate it.”

“Fucking poetic, you want a prize? Nah, bro, why would you want to see someone else’s world when there’s so much messed up with your own?”

Zach was bitter and his words formed frost in the descending darkness, but his heartbeat was a slow, steady thumping that reassured Frankie that he wouldn't flee. Frankie shifted closer till their legs were pressed together tightly, and if Zach had noticed then he had no complaints.

“Sometimes perspective into other people’s worlds is what we need to see our own more clearly.”

“Man, you're deep. Have you had a decade or something to make up all this shit? I need to be higher than the empire state before I say anything that poetic. I don’t know...everything seems...pointless....All I know is from where I’m sitting it sucks...” Zach spoke between puffs, and he picked up syllables and strung them slowly together like a child learning to speak.

Underneath the fog made by the cigarette and the coarseness of his words, there was something tender and pink waiting to be discovered. Vulnerability looked like flushed cheeks and eyes framed by tear stained lashes, and the portrait held enough secrets to make Frankie’s fangs descend without any prompting.

“You want some _perspective_? I can offer you something that will wipe all your other addictions obsolete and make your eyes roll back till you see the white light and the world becomes clearer. I can make you forget. All I need from you is permission.” Frankie leaned in and he let his hand snake around Zach’s hip, and those red lips were the forbidden fruits of his paradise.

“My Mom always warned me...'stay away from people who offer you the world because chances are there is always a catch'...” His words were shockingly clever, but Frankie’s senses told him the time to strike was now.

Frankie allowed his fingers to slither down those warm thighs, and Zach’s heart rate re-accelerated in response. The scent of arousal was flattering, and Zach’s body was an open flower for him to pick the petals from.

“I need a yes, baby.” His breath warmed Zach’s exposed neck, and Frankie was close enough to taste victory flowing through those vulnerable veins. He was salivating.

“I accept a trial run...if I like what I get then I’ll come back for more.” Zach threw his cigarette at the ground and let it burn itself out, “So do I snort or smoke it, dude?”

“You lean back and you take it.”

“Sounds, um, gay. How should I- _oh_!” Zach’s eyes did indeed roll back in ecstasy as Frankie put a hand on him and gently sunk his fangs in for the first time.

 “My god yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yES, _YES_. Please, _Frankie_ , OH! _Ahhhhh_....” Zach’s blunt fingernails dug into his back as Frankie held him down, and the teen was reduced to a thrashing animal in heat. Zach’s erection rubbed desperately against his leg like a dog humping his master. Frankie tried to steady him but Zach was insatiable.

“That was just one tiny bite. What did you think-” Frankie tried to lean back, afraid that it was too much too soon, but Zach's arms where tight around him.

“Did I say you could stop, pretty boy? I haven’t fucking finished yet so keep up with the biting and I’ll keep up with the ‘taking it’...More, more, more, _more_ -” Frankie complied, and Zach straddled him. The boy rubbed against him with every drink that Frankie took.

“Oh god yes! OH! Feels so good, fuucKK.... _Don’tstopdon’tstop_.... _Ahhhh_...”  Zach rocked back and forth like an animal in heat, and if Frankie wasn't feeling sedated by the warm liquid that flowed all too willingly into his mouth then he would be worried about what he had let loose. His hips stopped jerking, and Frankie suspected Zach had just cum in his underwear.

“More, more, more.” Zach was pale, and he laughed as the lack of blood surely made him dizzy, “My mother was wrong. That was everything you said and more. Fuck, the world looks so _good_. What’s that drug called, huh? Never read about anything you can get from biting ‘cept hickeys and rabies.”

Frankie laughed, and simply shook his head at the restless child on his lap who had orgasmed without being touched and now wanted more than his body was capable of handling. Zach bounced up and down like a needy toddler who had just been told that he had to wait to have dessert, and Frankie’s lower regions responded favorably to the continued pressure.

“No, baby, we can't do this more than that every twenty four hours otherwise you’ll pass out or fall into a coma. And you seriously haven’t figured it out yet? The _blood_? The _biting_? The _orgasm_?”

“You’re... _gay_? Fuck, dude, I’m horrible at mysteries! Scooby Doo wasn't really my thing. All I know is that was mind blowing, and we’re doing this as soon as I physically can.” Zach collapsed onto his chest in a sweaty, sticky mess of adolescence, and the look of satisfaction on his lips was quite an ego booster. Frankie’s hand slithered down his back, carving swirls into his spine, and Zach leaned into the touch eagerly. They lay there, cuddled, listening to the cicada’s chorus and the opera of an owl.

“I have to clean you up. You’re covered in scratches, blood, and sweat. Here let me-”

“Woah, more licking? I knew you were gay and-”

“Oh, please close your blabbering mouth, Zach, I’m only cleaning you up. Now hold still, my saliva contains natural cleansing and healing properties. I wouldn't want your roommate to see my pretty bite marks...” Frankie growled, and Zach shut up.

Frankie leaned up and meticulously ran his tongue over the place where his teeth punctured Zach's neck, and his taste buds sighed in delight at the flavor and the promise of more. The cuts he had licked this morning on Zach’s left arm were already healed, so he worked on the right arm. The boy on his lap giggled and squirmed at the process. If Zach had enough blood left then Frankie thought he might have been blushing.

“It’s like you're a mommy cat bathing her baby kitten with her tongue.”

“What? Oh, the blood loss has made you delirious. Hold still because I’m going to clean up your thighs. Can you take off those black pants that used to be your football uniform? Good boy.” The lines where deeper than he expected, and Frankie had to treat them twice. Zach was wriggling, and his sixth sense could detect the odorless molecules of pheromone being released. The erection that poked his cheek was less subtle, and Frankie was amazed at the energy of this boy. Hadn't he just come five minutes ago?

“I think I have some cuts here. Maybe you could clean me?” Zach fingers gently grazed his growing 'injury,' and Frankie rolled his eyes.

“This doctor recommends you treat it yourself when you get back to your room. You've had enough fun for tonight, and my intentions were never sexual. When did I ever mention intercourse in my plan, hm? _Never_. Now put your pants back up, and I’ll help you get back.”  

“ _Suuurrreee_...Haven’t heard a lie like that, bro, since my girlfriend told me she was a virgin...”

“I just want to make myself clear that I’m not interested in having intercourse with you.”

“Bro, you talk funny. Who says intercourse instead of sex?. Whatever, dude, it’s not like I’m gay.”

" _Mhh hmmm_. If you're straight, Zachary, then so am I," Frankie taunted and Zach pushed him away with a _whatever dude_. Zach struggled to stand, like a fawn gaining control of it’s legs for the first time, and he fell back down with a thump. Frankie’s nostrils flared, and he looked up at the moon for guidance. There was no way he would ever bed such a naive creature, and lord have mercy on his soul if he had to listen to any more denial or homophobic language.

"Frankie, um, can you help me?"

"Of course, I'll walk you to your dorm room," Frankie slid his hands under Zach's muscular arms and let him lean against him, "Tell me in 24 hours if you want to 'seal the deal.'"

"'Seal the deal?' Is that, like, drug dealer lingo or gay people slang?" 

"It's my way of asking if you want to continue..." Frankie murmured and Zach's heartbeat accelerated. The look in Zach's eyes, half-hooded and pupil's dilated as though he had been glamoured, made Frankie want to claim him then and there. Only one bite, and where had his cold logic gone? The moon hadn't yet fallen from grace, but Frankie was coming closer to falling for this mortal.

 


	4. The Blessing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frankie gets the talk from his sexy vampire creator/mentor/sister/BFF...

“Why didn't you clean up before I came to have a serious conversation? You know how I feel about seeing your leftovers, and if respect is beyond me then table manners are _far_ beyond your grasp,” Frankie growled.

His Mistress wore nothing except the cross on her neck, a smug grin, and the brown locks that covered her breasts. She had not bothered to even wipe her stained lips. Frankie was familiar enough with her that he did not avert his eyes at the indecency, but he couldn't help wrinkling his nose at the stench of perfume as he walked into her dorm room.

“Oh, but they were so exhausted that they collapsed by my side, and I didn't have enough will to clean up. The girl was especially soft, and you know how I love to cuddle when I am forced to sleep at night. I didn't even have to glamour her. Charming, don’t you think?” The slumbering mortal mumbled incoherently in her sleep as if in response to the question, and she pressed herself into his Mistresses side. Frankie cautiously approached the hodge podge of sheets and naked flesh.

The perfume emanating from the bed had covered the whole room, and the wretched stench was familiar. Frankie must have sensed it this morning on his Mistress.

“It’s always charming to see you this happy, but tell me why is it that we both broke our dry spell on the same night? I don’t believe in coincidences, and I have come tonight for _answers_ , Mistress, not small chatter and night dreaming.”

“Answers? Well, the evening star, as the Babylonians called it, is high up in the sky. The goddess Venus, makes lovers blood sing, and the precious blood calls to us,” His Mistress, sedated by her feast of blood, proclaimed airily.

“I _hate_ it when you talk in goddamn riddles, Ariana!” Frankie snapped, and the lump on the left of his Mistress stirred as he dared to inch closer. The blankets fell away to reveal a smooth jaw line, and the handsome face of-

“ _Cody_. You slept with Cody, and-” Frankie leaned forward to glimpse the face of the female mortal, “you slept with _Victoria_? You do know that these two are directly linked with my game? Victoria is the girlfriend of Zach for christsakes! You accuse me of not thinking with my head? But you behave like a common tramp without any thought of the intricacies of human’s lives.”

His Mistress hissed and bared her fangs, which glistened ominously in the dim light. Frankie took a cautious step back, still seething with annoyance at the thought of her careless antics, but he wasn't suicidal. Frankie closed his mouth obediently as she pressed a finger to her drenched lips.

“I wanted you to come here for a civilized conversation, but you instead insult my decision making and taunt my preferences. I know you love weeping blood, and I love guilty blood. Peace, Frankie.” Her fangs were bared and her words a mocking whisper, but sincerity was a scent that he had always been keen on. Even through the thick mist of perfume he could sense her honesty, and he lowered his eyes.

Frankie perched on the bed, careful to not disturb the mortals, and his Mistress nodded solemnly.

“Now, we play like adults, and we don’t get hurt. Don’t roll the dice, Frankie, because you have lost once already. I played it safe tonight and licked their memories clean after I indulged, but I wonder if you did the same with your conquest,” His silence was answer enough, “Like I thought. I could warn you, like a concerned sister would, that _protection_ is key not just for us but for our whole species, but I will save you the humiliation of a lecture. Why do you think that it has been fifty years since I have last eaten? I am no suffering saint upon a pillar.”

They sat there in silence as Frankie sat with the simple puzzle before him. He had avoided putting together the pieces for so long, but now his Mistress left him no choice. Frankie cracked his fingers one by one, and each pop brought a dull clarity to his stubborn mind.

He had shoved the memory to a corner, but it was there waiting to to be simply popped into place. Frankie’s first deal had ended abruptly fifty years ago. _The cold bitter wind of Greenland as they had trudged to see the council. A black blur in his memory filled with icy eyes and not enough air._

“The sentence has ended?” Frankie whispered to himself, and if he hadn't been so overwhelmed trying to pursue his prey he would have noticed the glaring signs. Red blotches rose his cheeks as he wondered why he hadn't realized this before.

“You see? And you accused _me_ of being the illogical ‘tramp’ with only games of passion on her mind!.” He could see the creases on his Mistresses face, and Frankie felt his heart sink down as he realized that her forced abstinence had been caused by his carelessness.

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to forgive me, but I want you to know that I am sorry for the pain I have inflicted upon you...It was my ‘noble’ and careless ways with my last mortal that had brought down the hand of the council on us in the first place. You are many things but reckless is not one of them. The blame is on me alone," Frankie spoke with his head bent in shame.

His Mistress gave a gentle wave of her hand as if to dismiss the sentence his consciousness wrought on him, and he was relieved at the sweet smile she wore instead. Not everybody could be so lucky as to have such a forgiving creator.

“Absence has only made my heart fonder, Frankie. What fun are games with no break or work in between? No, the anticipation has allowed me to enjoy the hunt more. I would not want to go back to the days before your birth, my precious brother.”

She leaned forward, and the chaste kiss his Mistress placed upon his cheek made his shoulders relax. Tension dripped from him with every moment of silence and the rhythmic rise and fall of the humans as their heart’s beat in time to an invisible metronome.  

“For everything you have done, I know that you have never intentionally done me wrong; I love you, my sister,” Frankie said as he leaned forward to wipe away the remains of her meal from the corners of her upturned lips. From this close her natural scent was comforting.

"Frankie, I beg one last time, don't let this be like last time. _Please_. This 'Rance' boy reminds me of...the other...are you sure that this will not end the same?"

"No, this is different," Frankie promised, "This time I won't do something foolish like fall in love."

"Do you swear?"

"I swear by my love for you that this is nothing but a game."

“Then you have my blessing, Frankie. Don’t make me regret it with your dangerous tendencies towards monogamy...” Frankie only grinned, and he gave the top of her head a kiss before climbing nimbly over the bodies towards the window. 

He glimpsed her once last time- fangs retreating and darkened skin glinting in the moonlight. The two bodies drew closer to her side as he let a breeze inside. Frankie called over his shoulder, “You also have my blessings, Mistress! Don’t make me regret it with your unhealthy appetite for polygamy...”

He laughed as his Mistress gave him a very elegant reply of a middle finger.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Frankie telling the truth? What are Zach's feelings for his favorite stalker? Will they 'seal the deal'? Find out in the next chapter...
> 
> Leave comments if you enjoyed this/are excited for more!


	5. The Deal

Frankie had altered his body chemistry to sleep at night and roam during the day, but his biological clock resented the rewiring. His internal gears groaned and moaned as he had to get up with the rising sun like the other children at Empire Academy.

His alarm clock struck up a melody with the twittering birds, much to his displeasure, but the irritating noise managed to lift him up. His roommate, Christine, also hummed under her breathe, and if he had not enough self control he would be tempted to permanently end the song. Lucky for Christine, he had respect for life.

“You would be more awake if you stopped wandering at night. That bed has barely been touched all September,” Christine remarked.

“Thank you for the advice, sunshine. I’ll be sure to pass the message to my throbbing head.” Frankie’s body had been barely coping without blood, and the sudden gorging under the full moon had overwhelmed his senses.

He went to the bathroom, removed his crusted underwear, ran hot water over his overwhelmed body, and let out a sigh of contentment. Fifty years of thirst had dragged and flown by simultaneously. Now, he could breathe easy.

Frankie’s hand scrubbed filth off his skin, and the water baptized him of the impurities that this world manifested. He stood under the spray and let his mind drift away in the smoke.

Hadn't the Orders sentence been quite short? Only 50 years? Sure, what he had done had only technically broken one rule, but he had threatened the existence of all the Underworld creatures with his refusal to obey that crucial rule. Frankie scrubbed his scalp making sure to dig his blunt nails all the way to roots, and he promised himself he would abide by the law this time around. Frankie wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Frankie dried himself off, and he put on his carefully labeled ‘Friday’ uniform that hung on the fifth hook on his side of the closet, and Frankie was glad that Christine was tidy. The order was comforting, and he was not likely to drink from someone so level headed

The sizzle of bacon made his mouth water, and his thirst had been quenched, but his hunger was still alive. He grabbed a tray, early enough to avoid the line, and headed to his table by the western window with Christine. They talked about a couple classes before his Mistress arrived, her hair in the tightest ponytail he had ever seen, and a puppy incessantly nipping at her heels.

“Come on, babe. Last night was amazing, and I can’t stop thinking about you! Please, at least come sit with me for breakfast.”

“You're making my head pound more than it already is, and sorry won’t sweeten my souring mood. So...Cody? Leave. Me. The. Fuck. Alone.” His Mistress spat.

Even with concealer he could see the outline of sleep deprived bruises beneath his Mistresses eyes, and the thin line of her lips spoke louder than her screams. Ariana buried her head in her hands as if to try and catch some elusive z’s, and Christine shook her head at the sight.

“Hey, Frankie.” Warm lips kissed his neck, and Frankie batted at the pesky fly who was buzzing on his shoulder with need vibrating from his every pore. These humans were more needy than newborn infants, and Frankie wasn't sure if he should find it annoying or mildly endearing.

“Shouldn't you go sit over there? You wolf types tend to stick in a pack,” Frankie nodded at the crowded table Cody had scurried back to with his tail between his legs to his football friends, “And I doubt you repetition would fare well if you hang with pretty boys, nerds, and whores.”

“Excuse me?” Ariana muttered from where she lay.

“Well, add addicts to that list, I guess. The wolf pack has already rejected me after yesterday's horrific practice, and I’m done with that shit. Besides, I like being this close to the window.” Zach’s hand traced his thigh, and Frankie carefully removed it.

“Finally seeing the light?” Christine joked, and Zach ignored her in favor for trying to regain ownership of Frankie’s leg. Frankie rubbed the back of his neck, and shifted to and fro in discomfort. So much for him being in control of the situation.

“Ah, there comes your girlfriend! Victoria! Over here!” Victoria beamed, her lips red with artificial colors, and for once, Frankie was glad that her perfume was so blatant to detect in a crowd. She swayed over, her thick thighs and low cut top tempting, and even Frankie had to admire her body, but he wasn't one for his Mistresses sloppy seconds.

Victoria and Zach kissed more out of habit than interest, and they quickly turned away. Zach draped over Frankie, and Victoria leaning across the table to his Mistress.

“You okay?” Her voice was husky, Frankie noted, and Victoria seemed to have a habit of biting her thumb when she was concerned. She also didn't seem the least concerned that her boyfriend was looking at Frankie as if he could get him out of purgatory.

“Mhm, wouldn't it be great if I could get some peace and quiet? No. I have physical education next period next, and the last thing I need is physical exertion.”    

“You wanna skip, Ari?” His Mistress looked up, mouth agape at the thought that she hadn’t realized the simple solution to her problem, and she seemed to be seeing Victoria for the first time. Frankie watched his Mistresses line of vision fall from those sparkling boggy eyes and plump lips down to those exposed breasts and arteries. She licked her lips.

“You wanna come, Zach?” Victoria added, but the two were halfway across the cafeteria before he had a chance to reply.

“No. I want to stay here.” He breathed in Frankie’s ear, and the the hand rubbing Frankie’s leg persisted. The attention made Frankie tense, and he didn't need a fix this early in the morning.

“Hands on the table, baby. Remember that I don’t require sexual acts in return for my services, okay? Unless _you_ want to engage in hanky-panky, and I’m sure a strapping, heterosexual lad like you isn't interested.”

“Then what do you want? I’m already going through withdrawal, and none of my usually fixes compare to...that.” Zach reluctantly withdrew, and he slumped on the table and looked up at Frankie in defeat: eyebrows scrunched, lips pursed, and cheeks flushed. The angle of Zach’s exposed neck made Frankie lick his lips, and his thirst had certainly returned with a vengeance. Ariana was right: absence made his heart grow fonder.

Christine interrupted their hushed conversation to question if it was time for first period, and Frankie, checking his clock, agreed that it must be time to go. They lifted their books, and the scent of freshly spilled blood pouring through the open windows made him inhale deeply. Ah yes, the flavor of guilt was his Mistresses favorite, and Frankie shook his head in wonder.

The momentary distraction discombobulated his senses, and Frankie looked up to discover that Zach had disappeared. That boy was the strangest combination of clingy and reclusive that it baffled Frankie to ponder what Zach was made of.

Frankie saw Zach after third period trying to keep pace with an agitated Cody, and the sight was almost too pathetic to watch. If Cody had been desperate this morning, then Zach was redefining the word in his every movement. The scent of repressed tears, begging to be released, and the crying blood made Frankie’s fangs lower with desire.

“Can we hang out this weekend, Cody? I know this new coffee shop in town it’s called ‘Betty’s Blend’ and-”

“Yah, I would love to go expect that _I’m_ practicing for the new game, but if you want to waste time sipping coffee like a teenage girl then go ahead and ask your new friends, huh? Maybe they’ll slip you some more weed afterwards for dessert.”

“Um, so is that a no?”

“Go take care of your ‘problems’, Zach, because I’m sick of trying to be the understanding friend.”

Zach fell back like he had just been slapped, and there was the rawest pain that was reddened on his face. Zach was a child who had just been hurt by his parent for the first time, and Frankie could see a fragment of himself in that devastated portrait. The likeness to his past made Frankie shiver in fear and desire.

Then Zach turned to run.

This period was biology, but Frankie was certain that Mrs.Efferson was only going to give him back his test and lecture the class on poor work ethics. He had more important matters to tend to.

Zach was a soft crier. His face was red and tight in anguish, but his sobs came out tiny whimpers of despair. He sat beneath the same sink that he had leaned against yesterday, and he had his legs pulled to his chest. Zach was more fragile than many people realized.

“A-at least my s-stalker cares enough to follow me, huh?” Zach whispered between gasps for oxygen as he hid his weakness into his knees, “Or..or would it be more appropriate to call you my g-gay drug dealer now that we’ve met? F-fuck Cody was right about me...”

“I’m sorry.”

“Pl-please leave me alone.”

“I don’t think that’s safe, baby.” When he wrapped his arms around the sobbing teenager, there was no complaint. Frankie felt Zach relax in his hands, and he wondered how long it had been since he had been touched. Last night's display of desperation was indicative of how dire the situation had become.

“G-god you must think I’m disgusting...I...just wish that it could all be okay. I wish I could w-wake up, and find that my friends love me and my parents give a shit about me for longer than it takes to write a check. I wish this world had what I was looking for.”

“What do you want from this world?”

“Happiness. Not the fleeting kind of joy that you feel from a rollercoaster, but something...that lasts...something...deeper.” Frankie was shocked by the answer, and he tightened his fingers around Zach's back. Hadn’t he himself walked these last fifty years like a zombie wishing for the same feeling that this young mortal was describing? Hadn’t he yearned for meaning in this gravityless life he was living?

“I understand.” The two words where more than Zach could handle, and he buried his damp face into his sweatshirt. They sat there in the bathroom rocking back and forth, and Zach clung to him tighter than a child reunited with his mother, but the feelings Frankie had when he looked down at Zach were not maternal.

“I understand you are in pain, baby.” Frankie pressed a kiss to the top of Zach’s head.

“I understand you think the whole world is void of meaning or reason. I have wondered many years searching for the contentment” Frankie pressed a kiss on the the tear-stained cheeks.

“What can I do to help you ease the pain?” Zach looked up, and his eyes were foggy with grief, and his weeping blood was a siren to Frankie. Frankie was the devil to exploit such a naive Eve, but who was he to question a gift from providence? His thirst knew no ethics.   

“I want to feel the joy of a roller coaster for a moment, an-and you're the only one who will give me that. Pl-please.” Frankie overlooked the unnecessary pleading as his fangs became engorged.

“I will make this simple. I wish to feed from you, and if I do so now then I will permanently mark you as mine. Is that clear? Once you have been marked then you are in danger of persecution by Hunters, and there is no going back. You will also become permanently dependent on being feed on. Only I can reserve the judgment to eradicate the deal.”

“Yes, sure, okay. Come on, please just do it Frankie.” It was clear that Zach did not truly understand all the implications Frankie had described, but he decided to hell with the code of honor. Who was Frankie to reject such an erotic display of submission?

When Frankie feed this time, Zach had to keep his cries of bliss contained. _Oh...yes...Frank-mhh....Frankie...god..._ Strangled songs of joy were muffled in his shoulder as Frankie drank his full, and only pheromones where a clear indication of the pleasure that Zach was experiencing.

He pulled away, and Frankie licked away evidence of his actions. However, any Underworld creature could detect the presence of a human who had been marked. Zach was his for better or worse.

“Mine.” Frankie whispered afterwards, gently kissing his neck, and Zach only held on tighter.

 


	6. Denial

“Frankie, you’re not a vampire..are you?” Zach’s voice was a train wreck, and his neck was full of quickly fading marks. From where Zach was sitting on top of his lap, Frankie could smell the endorphins being released. The scent was intoxicating, and Frankie gave that salty skin an appreciative lick before responding.

“It’s embarrassing how long that took you to figure out. I’ve seen preteen girls come to that conclusion after two minutes. It’s been two weeks!”

“Hey! I told you I wasn't good at mysteries! Besides, I don’t even believe in vampires...” Frankie made a vague noise of disgruntlement, and his nails clawed down Zach’s back to reprimand for his careless words. Zach’s narrow-minded view of the world, which constantly conflicted with his actions, was a quality that Frankie disliked immensely.

“Your level of jadedness is astonishing and discouraging, baby. How do you live without a thought to otherworldly matters? What keeps you going?”

“I believe in three fucking things: porn, drugs, and people being immensely shitty to each other. I _don’t_ do supernatural bullshit, okay? I _don’t_ have time for old men in the sky, fairy tales, or things that go boo in the night. I believe in making it through another day.” Zach’s voice was bitter for such a flushed and youthful face. Here was a boy who had become hardened and weathered. Suddenly, Frankie felt guilty for the red tracks that he had formed on Zach's back.

“Turn around I’ll heal you.” Zach obediently removed his legs from around Frankie’s waist and turned around to face the stall door.

On the other hand, Zach’s eagerness to please was one of the qualities that Frankie loved, and he tenderly licked the angry scratches. Even after Frankie was done, his tongue stayed to form meaningless shapes and patterns on his mortal’s flesh, and Zach, though already sated from his orgasm, couldn't help but groan in response.

“So, you would rather live your life with your head in a hole? Denial is almost as ugly a sound as begging, and you aren't being honest with yourself” Frankie sprinkled kisses with his lips and eyelashes onto that radiating body, and Zach shivered eagerly in response to the attention.

“I’m not in denial, dude. I’m being realistic,” Zach shot back.

“I learned in health class that acceptance is the first step. I mean...you begin shaking with desire when I so much as run my teeth on your skin! Look at yourself! You really think that we’re both straight _dudes_  having a clean time...or that I’m a human?” Zach became rigid beneath his grip, and the words had struck his exposed nerves. The teen took the words, rolled them around, and chewed through them until they fit his imagined reality.

“Obviously, I can’t help but respond to your drugs, bro. So, I mean, I’m just doing what I have to; it’s nothing too strange. You’re gay, I’m not ,and vampires are still complete bullshit.”

“Good to know that you're a _bro_ who's got it all figured out. Find me tomorrow when you want me to platonically bite you, and then we can mutually jack off in a bathroom stall until you cum on me screaming for a god you don’t believe in.”

“Fuck you.”

“I know you want to, babe...I’ll leave you alone with your delusions.” Frankie roughly shoved Zach, adjusted himself, and zipped up his jeans.

Usually, he helped Zach to tidy up, but Frankie wasn't in a mood to be assisting an arrogant child. Truthfully, their deal hadn't included intimacy or friendship, and nothing bound Frankie to this stall except his own gripping guilt. Why did he have to be a fellow with a conscious? Why couldn't he be like his Mistress and glamour away mortal’s memories? At this rate, he was going to get himself into a tight spot again, and Frankie decided to see his Mistress to clear his troubled mind.

He found her sprawled beneath a tree in the front gardens of the schoolyard with a freshman boy feeding her spoonfuls of yogurt. The boy was trembling so much with anticipation that there must have been more food around his Mistresses mouth than inside of it. Frankie curled his lip at the ridiculous sight and let his shadow fall upon her face.

“What do I owe this pleasure to? I thought you usually nurse your baby during this time. Or perhaps he’s had a fit?”  She licked the spoon pressed against her lips idly, and the dilated gaze of the boy watching her assured Frankie that there was no danger in speaking freely here.

“I was, but he’s being a conceited little brat. Not only does he deny what I am, but, perhaps more problematic, he denies who _he_ is.”

“So? He’s a mere child of seventeen. Take a deep breathe of the autumn air and calm down; Halloween is in a week!”

“I've tried to be patient and understanding, Ari, but Zach is more confusing than anyone I've ever been bonded to...and that’s saying something! He won’t tell me what he wants, his sexuality, or his intentions.”

Frankie rested on the grass beside them, and he let his head hang to stare up at the sky. Perhaps, he had expected too much from the kid.

“Oh, my. Don’t get too comfortable yet, Frankie. You have a lovely visitor.”

He was lifted up from the ground by the scruff of his neck by a muscular hand. His senses were attacked with the stench of the boys locker room mixed in with the faint hint of cinnamon that had been slathered on at the last minute. Dreadful.

“Okay, listen.” He was thrown back onto the grass, “I’m warning you to stay away from Zach. I don’t know what crap you've been injecting into him, but he hasn't been acting...normal.”

“Hello, Cody. Hi, Drew.” His Mistress batted her lashes at him, and Cody’s jaw tightened in response as he nodded her way. The boy flanking him, Drew it seemed, was captivated at the provocative sight of his Mistress licking the remnants of yogurt off her young friend’s fingertips.

Frankie rolled his eyes: “Behold the finest men at Empire Academy: your mothers must be proud of the way you behave yourselves. Your manners and good humor has convinced me to stay away from Zachary!”

“ _Ha ha._ You think your funny, Frankie? Keep your jokes and drugs to yourself, Grande. The stuff you give Zach makes him an asshole, and he isn't responding to any of my texts. He didn't even try to rejoin the team!” Frankie didn't like being shoved around, but he wasn't going to lose his temper again because of something this petty. What a tiring day.

Frankie sighed, stood up, and brushed the grass from his pants. He inhaled deeply, and a faint fume indicated that Cody was more nervous than he let on. Frankie seized him up: new sneakers, football jersey, lackey, and a bad case of excessive pride. It was no wonder Cody and Zach used to get along; they were cut from a similar cloth.

“Do you ever think that Zach has not attempted to contact you because _you_ have done something to upset him? Think about it, Cody.” His Mistress laughed as the teens tanned face scrunched up in a sneer of distaste that made Frankie wonder why he had tried to be reasonable.

“No, I’m his best friend!”

“And being his best friend frees you from blame? I see a gaping fallacy in your so called logic, and furthermore-” Frankie swiftly dropped down to avoid a fist from crashing into his face, and he _tsked_ at the lack of self-control.

“-Furthermore, you have barely tried to contact Zach, and the horrendous voice mail you left was full of accusations instead of support for his condition doesn't coun-” Frankie moved with agility to remain untouched by the second attack, and his Mistress watched them with the interest of a spectator in a Roman theater. Frankie was surrounded by barbarians, and he wished that people could solve their problems with cunning instead of brutality.

“You’re a bastard, Grande, who's never done any fucking good in his life! I should just report you to the Principal for selling contraband on Empire’s property. This is all your fault!” Cody yelled.

Cody and Drew shifted uncomfortably as Frankie took a step closer, and their fear was so evident a fledgling could have sensed it.   

“ _Hypocrites_! First get rid of the plank from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. You've been unsupportive of Zach for weeks! You think he would have come to me if you had been kind to him all this time? You think he would have dropped you all so quickly if you had bothered to learn his pain?” 

Frankie ducked another blow, and he ignored the screams to ‘Come and face me you faggot’ as he walked away. The bell rang, and he floated through his classes. The events of today replayed in his mind: all the biting, groaning, screaming, denying, and questioning. Frankie tried to internalize it, but how could he find answers to questions he couldn't form?

Frankie was only doing what he knew what to do, and he had asked permission before taking sweet blood from Zach. He had made a deal, and the deal had been sealed. Yet, Zach had not been aware of his true nature when the deal had been sealed, vulnerable and exposed on the night of the full moon, and under the influence of his ‘drugs.’ Was Frankie a sinner?

Of course he he had been a sinner. Frankie had done things in his fledgling years that not even a merciful god would forgive. Yet...was he continuing in his wicked ways? Was there any hope for someone of his nature?

“Should I end it?,” he asked Ariana that evening as he brushed out her hair.

“Have you tried everything?”

“What is there left to do? He won’t speak to me or listen to reason or-”

His Mistress turned around “You’re pressuring him too much to be something, Frankie. All you two do when you’re alone is feed or bicker...where do you expect his trust in you to come from? If you won’t glamour the boy then you might need to try a new angle.”

“Like what?”

“Befriend him.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Frankie take Ariana'a advice? Will Zach ever realize...Frankie's a vampire? Can Cody be any more of a douchebag?  
> Find out...in chapter 7!!!
> 
> Comment if you enjoyed this and are excited for more!


	7. Friends

Frankie was used to feeling confident and in control of a situation. So why did he keep readjusting his hair and pulling on his tight, pink shirt as he walked over to Zach’s dorm room? Maybe it was the fact that the sun was still high in the sky or that he and Zach hadn't talked in two days.

He knocked on Zach’s door room, and he could hear the muted sounds of shooting and cursing. The door slammed open and he was face to face with Zach whose expression contorted from neutral to defensive at the sight of him standing there with one hand popped on his hip. 

“Look, if this is about what happened Wednesday-”

“It’s not. Well, not completely. I was frustrated, and I just wanted to apologize for pushing you so hard.”

“It’s no big deal, Frankie. I was kind of a bitch to you about...everything.”

“This must be a lot to take in. I mean- I'm kind of a lot to take in, and I know you haven't had a lot of time to adjust. I’m sorry for not being more understanding,” Frankie explained slowly afraid to say something wrong and set off Zach again. Zach still looked distrustful, eyebrows furrowed and lips tight, but he threw the door open and turned to walk to his coach.

“Um, can I come in?” Frankie asked.

“What? Are you a vampire or- nevermind don’t answer that. You can come inside!,” Zach called over his shoulder.

Frankie dropped onto the couch trying to look more composed then he felt as he watched as Zach slice twenty zombies into shreds. They sat there in companionable silence, and Frankie wondered what they should talk about. His Mistress was right- all they did half the time was feed or bicker.

“So...is there a particular reason you came over?” Zach didn't look at him as he spoke but continued to mash on the remote.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No! I mean, it’s nice. Here. With you. Hayden, my roommate, is out a lot. And Cod- my other friends have been so shitty to me ever since I dropped out of football. I’ve missed just like _broing_ out with my friends, watching movies, and eating junk food. You know?” Zach sounded lonely, and Frankie felt bad that he had been ready to hang out here by himself the rest for the rest of the night if Frankie hadn't come over. Frankie had grown used to being alone, but Zach looked so sad and dejected that Frankie felt an unreasonable urge to cuddle him.

Frankie, who had been sitting stiffly on the coach before, crawled up into Zach’s space and gave him a gentle hug. Zach leaned into the touch immediately and buried his face into his shoulder.

“We can order pizza if you want. And watch movies. And ‘bro out,’” Frankie said, but his traitorous hands stroked Zach’s back as he spoke.

“I would like that. Really, _really_ like that” Zach spoke softly for once, his eyes glazed as he looked up at Frankie, but then the screen went red as his character was devoured by a stray zombie. His attention snapped away, the strange light in his eyes dimming, and Frankie stood up.

“Save me a remote. I’ll go order us some pizza,” Frankie grinned.

“Oh, prepare to have your butt whooped, fang boy!”

Frankie promised himself that this could be a beautiful, platonic friendship. Of course, platonic friends didn't kiss each other on the necks all the time or get hard at the sight of each other or cuddle as much as they did.

In public, with the eyes of their classmates watching, it was simple to remember where the lines where. Zach wasn't afraid to put a hand on Frankie’s waist, and Frankie wasn't afraid to return the favor. But behind closed doors? It was easy for Frankie to forget his promise to himself and his Mistress.

Zach wasn't helping.

“Oh, god, feels so _good_ when you do that, Frankie,” Zach moaned, his fingers curled in Frankie’s hair, as they lay on Zach’s bed. Frankie had him pinned down, leg slotted between his, but he pushed away before he had finished feeding as felt Zach’s knee brush his sensitive area. Zach, whimpering at the loss of contact, tried to pull him closer.

"Zach, baby,” Frankie sat up and crossed his arms, “You have to stop saying such homoerotic things when we do this. It’s- distracting.”

Zach, who had been holding onto his shirt, pushed Frankie off his lap, readjusted his erection in his khaki shorts, and rolled his eyes, “Dude, it’s no big deal if we get a little excited from this. I get it- you’re a vampire and feeding is, like, stimulating. I’m still straight. So we just have...a special friendship.”

“Okay, yah, sure. Back to the denial. My other bond mates didn't get hard when I kissed them on the neck,” Frankie mumbled as he pulled his cellphone from his pocket and tried to pretend that he wasn't still thirsty. Zach pulled his laptop from the foot of the bed where he had shoved it away before in his eagerness.

“What happened to your other- bond mates? If you don't mind me asking?"

“They’re dead.”

“Oh, how come you never turned any of them into a, you know, a-”

“ _Vampire_? I’ve heard you say the word before, Zachary, no need to be shy. The first couple moved on. I did turn the last one, but he couldn’t handle the change. So I...I was forced to take care of him.”

Zach mouth fell open, hands hovering over his keyboard, and he shifted away from Frankie as if sensing that he was lying next to a predator for the first time. Frankie, still annoyed at being both cockblocked and bloodblocked, let the statement hang heavily over them.

“You- you killed your last bond mate?” Zach stuttered.

“Only out of self defense. But don’t worry- I got punished by the council. Me and Ariana have been on a blood fast for the past 50 years to atone for our wrongs,” Frankie explained slowly, and Zach looked like he was going to ask something else when Hayden walked in without knocking.

Zach jumped at the intrusion but went back to typing on his laptop. Hayden walked over to his desk to retrieve a book: “Hey, Frankie, Nicole wanted me to thank you for helping her out with Calculus! You’re welcome to stay overnight; it puts Rancey pants over here in a good mood. Just make sure to wash the blankets!”

Zach threw a pillow at Hayden, but Frankie laughed. 

They had fallen into a comfortable cycle of cuddling and constantly fell asleep wrapped around each other. Frankie wasn’t sure what it was like to lie without the warmth of a body pressed against his or a hand slowly, rubbing soothing circles into his skin; his cold nights had been replaced with warm breathe and backrubs.

Most nights, Zach would get hard. He would moan and writhe in his sleep, hands wrapped tightly around Frankie, and Frankie could feel Zach’s erection pressed against his underwear. Frankie either rolled to the other side of the bed or rubbed against him until he came. Zach’s boxers, which he didn’t wash often enough, quickly became covered with cum stains.

In the darkness, Zach became a creature that even Frankie, a supernatural being, couldn't comprehend. In the daylight, Zach talked about how many girls he had/would fuck, but at night he wanted nothing more than to lie his head against Frankie's chest. In the daylight, he rolled his eyes at any mentions of Frankie's identity as a vampire, but at night he bared his neck without hesitation his breathe quickening as Frankie pressed kisses against his exposed arteries. He promised Frankie that they where best friends, but Frankie knew friends didn't look at each other like Zach did. 

Frankie was confused. 

He tried to guard himself against those tender touches, but every caress was like a chisel that chipped away at his inhibitions. Frankie wanted Zach. He had wanted him ever since he had sensed him that day in biology class, and he wanted him at four in the morning when they stumbled back to Zach's dorm room- drunk. Intoxicated, Zach would be so easy.

"Frankiiee...you're so _hot_. God, can youuu like hold me?"

"I'm actually pretty cold."

"Omigod," Zach giggled as he stumbled with Frankie to his bed where they collapsed into a heap, "Why are you so funny Frankie? I like- like love you. It's weiirddd. I'm in love with youuu. And I thought about hooking up with some smokebomb, but I want youuu. I want you so bad. I want you. I want yo-"

"Shhh...you can have me."

If Frankie slipped his hand down his best friend's pants, and jacked him off until he was nothing but a whimpering mess than only the moon could highlight their writhing bodies. If Zach giggled as he rubbed his backside against Frankie's erection until he came, cheeks flushed with desire, than the darkness would cover their mistakes. If Zach wasn't as drunk as he claimed to be or Frankie not as sorry as he told himself than who would know? No one.

He told himself over and over that this was just an experimental phase that Zach was going through, and, once the bond had settled, Zach wouldn't press desperate kisses against Frankie's back like he wanted something. But Frankie didn't want this to end- not really. Frankie reassured himself that it didn't have to mean anything if his heart twisted at the thought of Zach dating some girl.  

Frankie knew this was dangerous. Zach was mischievous and mercurial and maddening, and everything he wanted. But would Zach ever admit, sober, that they where something other than friends?

There was unresolved feelings freezing and boiling in their bloodstreams, but neither wanted to make the first move. 

“Do you hate me?” The bravado and pretenses had left Zach when it was only them in the dark. A hand, protective and strong, wrapped itself around Zach's shoulders, and Zach leaned into the touch. They did nothing except breathe, and Frankie listened to the sound of life pulsating out of Zach. He stroked his boy's hair.

“I don’t hate you. Even if you annoy me sometimes with your...insane antics...I find it oddly endearing,” Frankie choose his words carefully.

"Good because you're my best friend. I don't even care if you're a vampire. I don't care that you're gay. I seriously love your bro, and I want to be friends forever," Zach said, and Frankie felt cold even with Zach's heat radiating against his skin. Frankie, for a moment, wanted to confess that he couldn't fall in love with Zach or that this friendship couldn't last longer than a couple moon cycles, but the truth was too deadly.

"Best friends," Frankie promised.

"Forever?" Zach pulled at Frankie's undies, and his warm hand wrapped around Frankie's length. Frankie closed his eyes and allowed himself this simple pleasure, biting his lip. as realistic thoughts floated from his body. Frankie arched his back and groaned as Zach rubbed his fingers over Frankie's slit and spread the precum down his shaft. If this was hell, than Frankie never wanted to see the light. 

"Forever," Frankie lied.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhh....So friends or....
> 
> Comment if you liked this or want to read more!


	8. ...With Benefits?

Frankie was smiling, taking shots, and flirting with boys at the Christmas party, and anyone watching him or lurking his social media would have assumed that he was having the time of his life. It just wasn’t true.

He would rather be back in their dorm room sipping hot cocoa, and playing video games with the most important person in his life. Right now, though, the most important person in his life was licking alcohol off the naked body of a stripper.

Also, the prominent boner Frankie was now sporting had nothing to do with the giggling boy sprawled on him, but the way his friend's tongue was working all over the girl's skin. Zach's pink tongue was trailing saliva as he lapped the vodka off her body, and the sight was mesmerizing.

 _"Mmmhhh"_  He moaned involuntarily and thrust into the soft flesh on his lap. The boy grinned and ground down onto him when Frankie started to show interest in him for the first time. 

Zach’s perfect, rosy lips sucked and lapped at her skin. Frankie groaned as naughty thoughts filled his head in which he was the one on the receiving end of that mouth. The thought of him wriggling under Zach and the soft buzz of alcohol in his brain turned him into an animal that was desperately dry humping the boy on his lap.

Zach, the little whore, was making a show of it. The whole party watched, captivated, at the provocative display. No one could tear their eyes away from the sight of Zach making a mess.

The flashing lights and blaring music were starting to get to Frankie. He had at this point convinced himself that the person on his lap was Zach. In the dark, he could almost conjure up the image of Zach; tanned skin, cocky grin, and spiky hair. When Frankie pressed his lips to the boys -Michael?- he whispered  _Zach_. The boy on his lap either didn't care or the music was too loud because he wrapped his sticky thighs around Frankie’s waist and continued to grind.

Frankie should have taken the boy home, feasted on him, and wiped his memory clean. Shouldn’t he desire nothing more than simple sex with a supple boy? Shouldn’t he crave this oh-so-willing morsel? Shouldn't he be enjoying himself?

"Excuse me. I need- I need some air." He abruptly pushed the boy away, and he gave up the facade that he was having  a good time. Christ, he didn't even know that kid’s name. What was wrong with him?

As he got up to go to the door he spotted Zach's spiky hair and his tanned hands wrapped around a new victim. The girl was pressing kisses onto his neck and whispering into his ear. The sight made his skin crawl, and his stomach twisted as Zach made eye contact with him. 

“Can I have a word?” Before he knew what he was doing, Frankie was peeling the intoxicated teen off of the blonde and dragging him from the crowded room by his wrist. Zach was too far gone to care about the rough treatment, and he was giggling like a schoolgirl as he stumbled along.

They slipped out of the party, away from the glaring lights, and into a dark hallway. The thump of the bass was beating as fast as Zach’s heart, and he was starting to sweat. What, screamed the logical part of his brain, are you doing Frankie Grande? Whatever the fuck I want, replied the irrational portion as he led them into a shadowy spot.

"Frankiiiee" Zach had his hands wrapped around Frankie's waist and the sneaky bastard was smirking, "I knoooow you're jealous. You want me so bad. Youuu want m-"

He cut off Zach's taunts with a desperate kiss. His mouth tasted like alcohol and peppermint, and he wanted to drown in the sinful flavor. This wasn't what friends did.

"I  _knew_  it! You do want me. Yooou want me inside of you so bad" Zach sneered, as he pulled away, and even drunk he was a pompous jerk, "You're already  _haaard_  at the thought of me, dude"  

"You’re the one who’s been making lovey eyes at me all night." Frankie palmed at the tent in Zach's pants and gave it a squeeze which elicited a guttural moan from those perfect lips. He pushed him against the wall and silenced him with a kiss; he loved the taste of his ‘friend; and the needy little noises he made when he was touched. If this was what hell was like then Frankie didn't want salvation.

Zach growled against his mouth, displeased at the submissive role he was being forced into, as his hands were pinned above his head. Frankie smirked as he watched him struggle, and he licked his lips at the erotic display; Zach's mouth was parted and panting, his skin dripping with moisture, and his eyes hazy in lust.

" _Zach_ " He leaned forward and whispered into his ear causing him to shiver, "I want to hear you beg for me"  

Frankie slowly trailed his lips down Zach's sun-kissed neck, and sunk his teeth in to leave little bruises. He was careful not to draw his fangs out, but Zach was shaking against him at the familiar position. Frankie marked his territory.

Zach thrashed against him as he moved down, and the friction between them, made him moan.

"F-Frankie... _mmhh_...yes...ugh....I've been  thinking about you  _aaallllll_  night" He was now on his knees and Zach's hand was wrapped tightly in his hair. Those calloused fingers pulled on his hair as he continued to be a tease and only press light kisses to Zach's crotch.

" _Mmmhh_...Is that so?" Frankie grabbed Zach's wiggling hips to keep him steady and using his teeth he skillfully undid his fly. He pulled down his jeans, and Zach's want for him was obvious. This whole boring party was worth it to see his best friend and bond mate in this desperate state. Frankie’s hot breath ghosting over Zach's erection was enough to make him tremble.

"I've been thinking of you too" Frankie admitted and gave a gentle lick through the fabric, "And I see you're happy to see me, Zach"

"I knew you'd only touch me like this when I’m  _druuunk_  and your  _jealoussss_ , Frankie, that’s why I made you go.. _mmhh_...tonight...instead of staying-oh" Zach massaged his scalp with his rough fingers and tried to pull him closer to his clothed erection. The buzz of alcohol was already starting to fade and Frankie knew that he had to finish this before they were too sober to have an excuse.

When he pulled his wet lips around Zach, Zach's whole body quivered in response. His best friend was too far gone now to have any remorse, and he threw his spiky head back and moaned for everyone in the party to hear, "Frankie..ugh..Fr-frankie...moremoremoremore... _mhh_...please... _Frankie_!"

Frankie knew, instinctively, exactly where to lick and how to take Zach in his mouth in order to make him moan the loudest. This was, however, the soberest they had ever been and it made it all the more enticing to watch his friend writhe because of his mouth.

It was over all too quickly; Zach pulled his hair painfully, gave a final groan of pleasure, and then released himself in his mouth. He tasted salt and when he swallowed, it coated his throat. He licked his lips.

"Thanks Frankie- you really are my BFF" The sexually gratified teen smiled blissfully, still riding his high, as Frankie pulled away leaving a trail of saliva from his mouth to Zach's dick. Frankie was awarded a gentle caress on his cheek and a peck which he accepted with a nonchalant shrug.

"We’re really drunk and I know you needed this" He easily lied and avoided the other's gaze, "If anyone sees us than tell them I was escorting you to the bathroom, okay? And tell Ari, if she asks, that I was feeding from you."

"Rose, it's our little secret...."

Frankie was putting up the pretense that he was annoyed; grimacing, wiping his mouth, and roughly pulling up Zach's pants. It didn't matter because Frankie knew , deep down, that he was pleased at how the evening had ended.

 

\-----------------------------------

 

He woke up in the morning, feeling filthy, and found that not even a shower could clean him. He scrubbed at his skin until the bathroom was filled with smoke, and Christine was pounding at the door asking him if everything was okay. 

"I'm fine," he said.

Frankie, instead of confronting the confusing feelings stirring inside him decided that it had been a long 24 hours since he had feed.  _Ready for a bite? xoxoxo,_ he texted, and he immediately received a _Duh!_   in response.

It wasn't like Frankie hadn't tried to talk about their unique situation. Even Zach Rance, the stubborn, could admit that regular best friends didn't partake in sexual favors, and he had confessed, after cumming on Frankie for the second time that night, that he wasn't a 100% heterosexual. Frankie had barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. 

"The disconnect between your words and your actions is...staggering! Sometimes, I understand your fears about coming out and how your family would react and other times I feel...used. Like I'm some big joke to you," Frankie spoke frankly as they lay on Zach's coach, but Zach was zoned out. His eyes where staring into blank space, and Frankie had to gently shake him before his attention refocused on Frankie. 

"Hmmm?  _What_? Frankie -how many times do I have to tell you?- it's fucking hard to listen to you when you have your fangs out. I can barely talk...right," Zach, like he had been trained, had his neck bared, and his eyes lowered in submission. Frankie let himself appreciate the beautiful sight, and he cradled Zach's face in his hands wishing that this moment could last forever.

Frankie gently grazed the softness of his skin with his fingers, and he wanted to worship this body for the rest of his immortal life: "Zach, I was trying to tell you that we have to talk about this. We  _really_  need to talk. I just feel so- guilty all the time. You make me feel like I need to be ashamed of something, and I want-"

The phone rang,  _Victoria_  flashing on the screen, and Zach jumped away from Frankie's grasp to pick up the phone.

"Hey, babe. What am I doing?" Zach glanced back at Frankie, "Nothing really. No, I'm free. Of course we're going on a date! Love you too." 

"We'll talk about later, right? You know that we have to talk about this?," Frankie played with his bracelet as Zach kissed his cheek goodbye. 

"Right," Zach said, but he didn't look him in the eyes.

Frankie needed to take a shower and cleanse himself of this day.  

 

\-----------------------------------

 

"I can't believe you've never heard of friends with benefits? It's similar to a bond mate but instead of blood...you get sex," Frankie explained as he and Ari sat on the roof of the dormitory. The air was crisp, with the promise of snow soon, and their breathe formed a white fog.

Ari shrugged, the sweet seventeen year old face she had been cursed with looked as pure as the moonlight, and, if Frankie had not known better, he would have believed that his Mistress had never sinned before. But he had seen that skin, as white as snow, stained with blood of those who dared go against her. Frankie knew she would not hesitate to kill Zach if he hurt Frankie.

"It's not that I haven't heard the concept before, Frankie! It's just that this seems more like an excuse for you to get even closer to Zachary Collin Rance. Why? What makes this boys blood so tempting? What makes his sex, which I can't imagine to be more than foolish fumbling in the dark, better than any other boys? What doe he have that you want so much?"

"Maybe. I'm. I- I think I'm falling for him," Frankie confessed because he couldn't lie to his dear sister  He had expected her to be mad, but she shook her head and sighed as she stared up at the starry sky. 

"Don't you know that love rarely, if ever, works for our kind? Suppose that Zach loves you back. Human love, like a flame, is extinguished quickly, and we are left with nothing but the smoke of their memory. Loyalty is real. Lust is real. Love...will not end well. He will burn you, Frankie, and steal your light. You've told me that you learned your lesson, my dear brother. It seems not well enough," his Mistress was straight to the point, and he respected her clarity. She always had known him better than he had known himself, and he wanted to stop this pattern that he and Zach where falling into.

"What should I do then?"

"Find all the benefits you want...elsewhere."

 

\-----------------------------------

 

Frankie was true to his word.

He found Caleb working out in the gym. He was a good looking boy, with a sculpted body, who looked like the type that could be easily glamoured and have their mind erased. If his Mistress was right and all he needed to do was clear his mind then this was the perfect opportunity. 

Frankie liked to flirt. He found it fun to tease and entrance others; he had been an actor in his previous life. Caleb quickly fell under his spell, and he bared his neck almost as willingly  as Zach did. But why was Frankie thinking about Zach when he should be enjoying this boy? Why did his mind wander from this moment to ones that he had with his bond mate?

When Frankie drank from Zach, they intertwined their fingers together as though they where truly lovers. When Frankie drank from Zach, they would do it slowly like they had all the time in the world to be together. When Frankie drank from Zach, they became one. 

What he was doing now, with this boy he didn't even know, felt wrong. He wasn't enjoying this game at all. Frankie pulled away, wiped his mouth, and left. He had thought that maybe drinking from a new mortal would allow him to see all the reasons that he shouldn't be with Zach Rance, but it made Frankie want him more. 

_Coming over < 3 < 3...unless ur with V ?-F_

_Lol V is a 'virgin' she nvr sleeps over. Get ur butt over here! Almost went to sleep... -Z_

_Miss me, babe?  ;)-F_

_OF COURSE!  I hate sleeping without you and rubbing your back helps me go to sleep -Z_

_Oh, I'll give you something to rub! Don't worry -F_

_Bite me -Z_

_Planning on it... -F_

_Omigod, ur so funny, Frankie! I love u <3 <3 -Z_

Frankie stared at the text, typed out an _I love you_ , erased it, and knew he was in too deep.  He had tried to dig himself out of this hole, but he had only buried himself deeper. Every time he struggled to get out,  like quicksand, Zach pulled him back in. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frankie's in TOO deep!!
> 
> Leave me a comment if you like where this is going/are excited to read more! :)


	9. Fairy tale

“How much longer can you go on like this?” His Mistress asked one evening as he pulled up his scarf to hide the bruises on his neck,  “Something's going to give. No one can happily live ever after in the grey area between love and friendship.  Throw a blood bond in the mix, and we have the perfect recipe for a disaster!”

“God, Ari. Please give me a break. You've warned me enough. I understand. If you want to say ‘I told you so’ then you have my permission, but I’m trying to figure things out, okay?” Frankie weakly deflected , as his phone buzzed, and he smiled as he read the texts.

_Get over here, babe! We have zombies to slice....among other things ;)- Z_

His Mistress grabbed the phone, read the text with tight lips, and rolled her eyes.

“It’s worse than I thought! You have him saved under ‘Bae’ with four emojis ! _Four_!!! And your background is a picture of him biting your ear. Ugh, if you get any more monogamous than you would have ‘his’ and ‘her’ blankets or matching tattoos,” His Mistress held the phone between her thumb and forefinger as if it was a dirty object and gave him a sad look. Frankie grabbed his phone back, feeling oddly defensive of Zach,  and texted back _be there soon xoxox_.

“Please, don't worry...I’ll figure this out.”

“Promise?,” she called after him, but Frankie was sick of futile promises.  He knew that he would be in trouble later, but he ran to Zach’s dorm anyways.  They had spent most of the day apart, Frankie was helping in the class council decorate the school with mistletoes, and he missed his boy.

He smelled Victoria before he saw her- pumpkin spice perfume? Really? - walking up the stairs. She clicked up besides him, her highheels sharp enough that they could kill a man, and gave him a smile that didn't make the corners of her eyes crinkle.

“Going to visit, Zach?” Frankie asked to cut through the uncomfortable silence.

“Yes, I’m going to see my _boyfriend_. Hanukkah starts today, and I brought him...a present. His mother suggested it,” Victoria  said casually, with one eyebrow raised, and Frankie was starting to wonder if he should even head to Zach’s tonight. Victoria was a ‘virgin’ until marriage (girls didn't count), but Frankie was sure that she would be willing to do other things (hand jobs didn't count either).

Victoria knocked on the door, and Frankie stuck his hands in his pockets wondering why he hadn't turned back. Maybe he hoped, in his foolish heart, that Zach would choose him over her.

“I’m coming, Frankie! I ordered pizza and got us a new- oh, hi, Victoria.”

They stared at each other at the threshold of Zach’s apartment. Victoria, manicured hands on her hips and foot tapping, batted her lashes. Frankie, rubbing the back of his neck, turned to the sky for an answer.

“Oh, look, a mistletoe!” Frankie pointed out hoping to diffuse the tension.

“I saw it first!...I just forget to point it out,” Victoria snapped, “It’s my kiss!”

Zach stood- petrified. His eyes went from Victoria to Frankie, and he seemed unable to choose. If they had been alone, in the cover of dark, Frankie knew Zach wouldn't have hesitated before kissing Frankie, but they were still in public. Frankie felt sick. _Friendship_ \- who had he been trying to fool?   _Love_ \- how had he deceived himself into thinking he was anything more than a pair of warm lips to Zach?

“I’ll make this an easy decision for you, lovebirds. I would just be getting in the way of your alone time if I stayed. Have a happy holiday, Zach. Victoria.”

Victoria, victorious, gave him a vindictive bye, stepped into the dorm, and (shooting Frankie a look) immediately kissed Zach. He couldn't have expected maturity from Victoria. Frankie forced himself to watch as Zach, hands settling on the curve of her hips, kissed her back. Frankie needed to see enough so that he could dilute whatever toxic tenderness he had ever felt.

Frankie tried to keep his head high as he marched out, but it was hard to keep his mask from falling when his heart was breaking. The snow fell around him, covering up any warmth he had sheltered, and he wanted to weep for the death of his hope. His hope had been fragile, but he had protected it from the cold, painful world.

“Frankie- wait! _Stay_!” Zach caught him by the shoulders, snow falling onto his bare arms, and pulled him into a shivery hug, “Victoria will be leaving in like an half an hour. We still have plans, ya dingus!”

“Oh, yah? What plans are those? Plans to string along the campus queer with mixed signals? Kiss Victoria on skype, for your parents, then let me blow you under the covers until you cum on my face and then ‘no homo’ it the next day? Do you think I have no self-respect, Zach? Don’t shake your head like this all so shocking- you’re- you’re embarrassed of me. You’re _ashamed_ of me! Of _yourself_! Of _us_!”

“Frankie! _Woah_ , where did this all come from? None of that is true. Come on, don’t be a drama queen, come inside with me. You’re making this seem like some kind of soap opera or tween vampire romance. Come on- I love you, Frankie! I do!” Zach, eyes sparkling, said the last words with such conviction and feeling that Frankie gasped in pain. He felt dizzy, out of control, and, oddly, human.

“You can’t- you’re not allowed to say those kinds of things, Zach. Not when you have a girlfriend. Not when you're ‘straight.’ Not when I’ve fallen in l-love with- with-,” Frankie pushed away from Zach’s hug, and he felt his cheeks grow strangely warm.

“I- oh. Fuck, Frankie! Are you okay, why are you bleeding? Ugh, from your eyes. Please, come inside, and I’ll clean you up, baby,” Zach reached up to wipe Frankie’s cheeks, and his fingertips became red.

Frankie stopped trying to pull away and let their foreheads touch; he was falling apart.

“I’m crying, rose! I haven’t fucking cried in over fifty fucking years! And all it takes is some dumb frat boy who can’t even look me in the eyes without blushing or ‘no homo-ing’ to push me over the edge!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry for all the mixed messages and that you think that I’m ashamed of you. But the opposite is true, Frankie. _I love you_ ,” Zach whispered again, and Frankie wondered why it was so easy for him to say those words. It was too simple. Too perfect. Zach squeezed their interlaced fingers, and Frankie responded to the pressure by leaning in closer.

They kissed, Zach shivering as more snow piled on top his shoulders and Frankie’s face became stained. They kissed even with the sun in the sky outlining their bodies pressed against one another and a couple other students trudging along. They kissed hard. They kissed slow. They kissed with desperation and passion and longing. They kissed and Frankie realized that his hope was still alive and burning. His love could never die- not with the warmth in Zach’s eyes.

Zach, fingertips still stained red from Frankie's tears, traced a _mine_ onto Frankie’s wrist.

Frankie reached down to scoop up some snow, aware of the strange sight that they were and what rumors would circulate, and scrubbed his face clean of blood but left the _mine_ to dry on his wrist.

“Yours,” Frankie promised as they kissed again.

 

\----------------------

 

If only life was as simple as a fairy tale where one passionate kiss could transform their ending into a ‘Happily Ever After.’ But the kiss of true love could not awaken Zach from the slumber he had fallen into, the boy had spent years self prescribing marijuana for his ADD and lying to cover up his queerness, and Frankie was not the magical cure for his condition.

On their first night together, he had licked away the cuts on the surface of Zach’s skin, but he couldn't instantly heal what festered deeper. Frankie tried to talk to him, but it sometimes felt like his words weren't enough to cut through to the pain beneath. Cody and the rest of the crew still where shunning Zach, and, although he shrugged it off, Frankie knew that it bothered Zach. His mother, when she skyped him, asked about his grades and girlfriend. When Zach told her that he had broken up with Victoria she had ended the call without another word and left Zach staring at the black screen.

Zach presented the facade of a tough teen who had it all figured out, but Frankie had seen him at his worst. He had seen Zach cry until there was no tears left just broken breathing. He had seen Zach buried under the blankets, for days on end, with no wish to leave. He had seen Zach stare blankly at the wall and contemplate things that Frankie wasn't sure he wanted to know.

“Do you want to talk about it, baby?” Frankie, who had to go to class in an hour, soothingly rubbed Zach’s back as he sat next to the silent boy. Zach had been so happy last night after coming out to his roommate, holding Frankie tightly and kissing him, and now Zach wouldn't get up (not even with the promise of pancakes or fruit loops).

“No...I don’t feel good,” Frankie put his hand to Zach’s forehead to feel his temperature, but he already knew that he didn't have a fever. How was this the same boy who had talked for hours on end last night?

“Maybe I should take you to the doctor, Zach. Just in case. I’m worried about you...These aren't even mood swings. I feel like I’m dealing with more than one of you.”

“No, I don’t want...I just want you here...You always make me feel better,” Zach mumbled into his pillow and Frankie continued to rub his baby’s back and pressed a kiss onto his head.  Frankie kicked off his shoes, deciding to skip class, and curled around Zach. He knew that Zach would go back to sleep in another ten minutes, but Frankie decided they need to talk.

“Zach, I want to be your knight in shining armor. But I can’t help _this_...I don’t even know what _this_ is to be frank. I mean I studied biology, in depth, years back, and I could guess that you have a chemical imbalance. Maybe bipolar disorder...I’m not really sure? But I’ll stay here with you for now if that’s what you want,” Frankie said, and he interlaced their fingers together as he lay with him.

Hayden peeked his head in, looking for his books, and didn't even raise his eyebrows at the sight of them intimately curled up on the bed. Frankie was sure not even someone as homophobic as Drew or Cody would blink twice at them wrapped up together. They practically lived their life out of each other's palms, nowadays, and Frankie guessed that it was just a quirk on this codependent train wreck.    

“You know, Ari warned me against...pursuing a relationship with you. And I told her -no, I promised her!- I _promised_ her that I wasn't interested in you like that...and then I _promised_ her that we were just friends with benefits...and now I’m hopelessly in love with you. How do you do it, Zach? How do you make me forget my better judgement?” There was no response so Frankie just sighed and continued, “I’ve been hurt before. My last bond mate- I fell in love with him. Oh god, how I loved him. I loved him so much that I gave him the gift of immortality.  And what did he do? He spat on my love and my gift and called both a curse. He cheated on me, and I- I made a mistake. Oh god, there’s no pain in this world like the death of a bond mate. It’s like your soul has been ripped in two. And when you only have half a soul...you do terrible things.”

Frankie felt Zach shiver against him, goosebumps crawling up his arms, and Frankie pressed a reassuring kiss to the back of his neck. Now that Frankie had started to dig the memory out of it’s grave, he couldn't stop until he had unburied the truth. He had spent too many years trying to forget this, but he needed to see the ghost of his sins before he could move forward.

“I was summoned to Greenland where I met with the Council of elders. My Mistres- Ariana defended me. She explained that I was in love and that- that I hadn't been in control of my actions. She promised them that she would help take the burden of any punishment they gave me. She begged for them to show me mercy and leniency for I had just lost my bond mate and was already suffering. They were fair; 50 years blood ban for the both of us. After that we wandered from town to town, living off of blood supplements, and searched for meaning in the changing world. Around us, highways grew, suburbs appeared, the internet exploded, and I could do nothing but try not to remember my mistake.”

Zach rolled around, and he placed his head on Frankie’s chest. Frankie stroked his hair, biting his lip, and tried not to cry again.

“What was t-that like?” Zach whispered, and his voice cracked.

“It was dark. So dark. I would fall asleep wondering if I should get up or if I should end the pain. I would spend days doing nothing but watching old movies, unable to change my clothes or wash my hair, and Ari could do nothing to reach me. I felt broken. Incomplete. I was convinced that I was destined for damnation despite what anyone told me...”

“What changed?”

“I looked inside of myself, and I saw evil. But I also saw good. I decided that I needed to live on and prove to myself that there was more good in me than evil. I want to do good, be good, and help others. Is that too corny?,” Frankie confessed.

“No, it’s perfect. You’re perfect,” Zach said reverently as he leaned in to touch their foreheads. On Frankie’s wrist, where the _mine_ had been written, Zach retraced the letters.

“We’re perfect as boyfriends,” Frankie teased, “In our own dysfunctional way.”

 

\----------------------

 

The silence was unnatural.

“Oh no. Frankie, no, you can’t- this is the _worst_ time for love. You have to break up with him. Tell him it was a mistake.”

“I can’t do that! We just got together this weekend. Why would you even say that- When is it ever the _best_ time for love?” Frankie snapped as Ari’s face wrinkled in distress and red tears welled up in her eyes.

“The council is sending someone to America to check up on you,” she held up a wrinkled envelope, “What do you think they’ll make of Zach? They’ll think he’s unstable like the other one, and you’ll be put on trial. How can I save you again? I don’t know how to fix this mess but I- I can’t lose you, Frankie. Y-you’re my brother. My b-best friend. M-my _everything_.”

His Mistress sobbed into his arms, staining Frankie’s white shirt, and he held her tightly against him and stroked her hair. Every tear only strengthened his resolve. His life might not have been a fairy tale, but Frankie would get his Happily Ever After.

“Don’t worry. I’ll fix this. I’ll fix this. _I’ll fix this_ ,” Frankie promised and traced his wrist where the _mine_ had been written. He would protect Zach and Ari; no matter the cost.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Zach has made his choice...but will Frankie be able to protect him now that he has???
> 
> Comment if u liked this/ want to read more!!!! <3 <3


	10. A Vision of The End

The council member came with no warning, no notice, and no formal announcement. The young women appeared in the halls of Big Brother Academy, and no one questioned her presence. There where no mummers of interest, which usually accompanied a new student, but Frankie's classmate's eyes glazed over her as though she was no more than a shadow.

Frankie had sensed her the moment she came and it wasn't her scent that gave her away, but her disposition. The women had a way of walking, waiting, and watching that told Frankie she was predator. Even though she was alone, Frankie couldn't help but move closer to Zach- instinctively wanting to protect him from the danger. 

"She's watching us -over there!- I swear to god she's watching us. Is she- is she that person you where talking about? That freaky councilwomen that wants to get both of our heads chopped off?" Zach asked as they settled at their lunch table. While Zach's voice was cocky and confident, his hands where shaking slightly as he carried his and Frankie's tray. Frankie pressed a reassuring hand to the small of his back.

"Yes, I've sensed her here for a week or so now. I didn't want you to worry or be frightened. There's no reason to be afraid- she won't do anything to us as she is in public and, in private, the Gentlemen's Code is still intact."

"So what the fuck does she want from us? Is she, like, waiting to see if I start to lose my shit or have a metal breakdown? 'Cause I'll go tell her that she can suck my-" Frankie grabbed Zach's arm as he tried to stand, and Frankie wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry at the determination on his boyfriend's face. 

"Zach, this is why I didn't want to tell you, sweetie. I don't want you to blow up at her or anything that'll get us on the radar. She's just... _observing_."

"What is she trying to find?" Zach was whispering, but there was no purpose to pretend that privacy existed with a council member this close. Frankie rubbed his bond mate's arm and, after a moment's hesitation, Zach interlaced their fingers below the table. 

"She's looking for weakness," Frankie snarled as he tightened his grip around Zach's hand, "But she'll find none here."

Zach looked in his eyes, sensing the weight of his words, and nodded. 

His Mistress arrived, her hair in a high ponytail, and a new boy at her side. Frankie observed the dark-skinned boy, who called himself Sean, and he wondered how long this one would last. Zach and Sean got along, and they where bantering in a couple minutes so his Mistress turned to stare at Frankie. She had been giving him these sad eyes the last couple days as though he had already been sentenced, and Frankie was sick of it.

"I'm not dying, Ari. I'm being watched. So wipe those teary eyes before you stain my shirt again," he snapped.

"I just love you so much," his Mistress admitted, "Even if your way of coping with stress is sassy and insisting that nothing is amiss. Just be-"

"-Careful," Frankie gave her a playful pat on the head, "I know. I won't do anything dramatic or crazy or whatever and keep Zachary calm. We'll make it through this."

\-----------------------------------

_Why had Frankie thought that he could keep Zach under control? Why had he believed that he could keep his bond mate pacified? They had been so close to being cleared and now...Now, he had the councilwomen, stalking forward, and Frankie wondered if his death would be swift or slow. There wasn't much he could say in his own defense not with the mortal's blood still fresh on his hands, and Zach, unconscious, at his feet._

_Frankie had killed another mortal. But Zach was alive._

_The football field was spinning, someone was yelling, and his Mistress was the last person he saw before everything faded into darkness._

\-----------------------------------

Frankie awakened, the violent vision still fresh, and Zach was shaking him and screaming his name over and over. Frankie sat up and gripped his bond mate so tightly that his fingers were sure to leave bruises in Zach's soft flesh. The bed, although warm from Zach's body heat, seemed cold and the dark seemed dangerous and unnatural. All he wanted was to keep Zach close to him and protect him from whatever he had just seen.

"F-frankie, you're hurting me! Can you please let go and tell me what the hell that was all about? Thanks. Now, what did you see in your dream- or nightmare? And why were you screaming like you were possessed?"

Frankie only shook his head as Zach questioned him, unable to form the horror into words, as the evil he had witnessed replayed in his mind. He could feel tears welling in his eyes, but Frankie couldn't let Zach know how afraid he was right now. He had to be brave.

"Zach, my kind don't dream. We only train ourselves to fall into a deep meditation to rest out minds in a state of tranquility. Otherwise, we might be driven to madness. But we don't dream. I had...I had what you mortals might call 'a vision.'"

Zach blinked: "What? You went all 'That So Raven' and had some sort of premonition about the future?"

"Yes, Zach, I went 'all That So Raven' Good lord, I sometimes forget just how young you are," Frankie tried to laugh but he was still shaking. Zach, whose body had become attune to his needs, mistook his fear for withdrawal, and he eagerly offered his neck. Frankie shook his head and pulled his bond mate closer to him again.

"What did you see in your, um, vision, Frankie? You kept screaming and I was shaking you and- shit, I thought you were possessed by a daemon from hell and I was going to need to do an exorcism on your vampire ass," Zach kissed him on the lips and pressed their foreheads together, "Can you tell me what's wrong, Frankie? I've never seen you this...quite."

"Oh god, I can't say it. Please, don't make me say what I saw, Zach. How can this be our future? I have come so far, and I thought that maybe there was a chance for salvation. I thought there was a chance for us. But...but the visions are never wrong," Frankie couldn't keep his composure. 

Zach rubbed his back, tracing soothing circles into his skin, as if he could fix their fate with his bare hands alone: "Frankie, you can't keep treating me like I'm a baby when I'm, technically, a consensual adult. I know I may seem really young to you, but, if we want to make this work, then we have to treat each other like, you know, equals. You can tell me what happened. I could _help_ you...or help the pain."

Frankie let out a dry sob and shook his head. Zach sighed, but his hands didn't stop massaging Frankie's back nor did his lips stop pressing kisses onto Frankie's face. They were so close physically, and, with every heartbeat, they grew closer spiritually. Zach was open to him- neck and body and mind and soul all open to Frankie. 

"In the vision, did you die?"

Frankie shook his head, and Zach exhaled again.

"Did I- did I die..."

Frankie shook his head and gripped Zach a little too tightly. The longer that their flesh was touching, Zach spelling sweet nothings into his skin, the easier it became. Even the darkness no longer seemed so bleak, and Frankie could see the faint glimmer of stars. The cold, that had chilled his very core, was thawing, and Frankie relaxed into Zach's touch. How could one man hold so much control over him? Did Zach even understand the extent of their bond and what would happen if something would threaten it?

"No, Zach, if I had a vision of your death then I...I wouldn't know how to continue my existence. No, we were alive in the vision, but I had- I had _sinned_ again. How could I? I just can't understand what force on earth could possibly make me- make fall from grace once more. If I wasn't damned before to a life of eternal suffering and chaos then this vision is all I needed to confirm to me what has been determined by a force more powerful than me. I can't change what is fated," Frankie, finally, was able to form the shapeless horror into concrete carnage. He looked down at his hands, and Frankie had almost expected them to still be bloody.

Zach looked into his eyes, and Frankie could feel him pulling on their bond and trying to peer into Frankie's mind. Frankie shivered at the delightful feeling of their connection, and Zach also shivered as he saw glimpses of the horrible vision. Frankie watched as shock turned to fear turned to anger and finally took the shape of determination. Zach's jaw tightened, and his eyes were staring so intensely into Frankie that he felt naked and vulnerable in front of his bond mate.

"I will do anything to stop this, Frankie. Why can't we just avoid the football field? Or maybe we'll...we'll..." Zach couldn't think of a solution but his stubbornness was charming to Frankie.

"We'll live now, Zach, even if our future is bleak. Even if our forever won't be as long as we had wanted. I'm not foolish enough to believe that this fate can be thwarted, but I hold hope that we can still have happiness in this moment. I am yours. You are mine. While immortals and mortals wander the night looking for love, we have it right here. Let us not weep for what we have seen. Instead, let us rejoice for what we have," Frankie hummed his words, as though a prayer, against Zach's skin. Zach was more sensitive then ever to Frankie's touch, and he eagerly pressed into the hand that rubbed him through his underwear.

"God, I love it when you talk poetry to me, Frankie. Makes me so fucking horny. So happy that you're here. So happy that you want to hold me and love me and suck my blood and cock," Zach's eyes were dilated, and he easily lay back and bared his neck to be taken. Frankie sucked at his bared flesh, licking those warm veins, and gently rubbed the tip of Zach's cock. Zach keened at his touch, and he was flushed, with red cheeks and watery eyes, and desperate for him.

"You look so perfect, baby, all ready to give me whatever I want. I love the sight of you so alive and eager under me. Now, the only question is how I want you...your mouth? on your knees? on my knees?" Frankie whispered into Zach's ear even though he knew that Zach was more reserved during sex and liked to be told what to do. Instead, Frankie mentally touched their blood bond, and he could feel Zach's desire...for Frankie inside of him. They had never done that before, and Frankie wanted to feel all of Zach tonight. 

"Do you want me to fuck you? I know how much you like it when I feed and finger you. Do you want to feel my cock inside of you, Zach? Say the words," Frankie said, but he was already reaching for the lube on their dresser when Zach said _pleasepleasepleaseplease_.

Frankie had kissed Zach as he slid a slick finger inside of him. He looked down at his boy, and Frankie had never felt closer to anyone in his entire life. Every thrust and stroke and touch and kiss shared between the two of them was intimate and sacred. Never had Frankie thought that anything as dirty and primal as sex could become this beautiful. And yet, Zach's shimmering body, the muscles of his abdomen stretching and squeezing, as he pushed himself against Frankie's fingers was mesmerizing. 

"Perfect. Oh, god, I never thought that I would find you, Zach. Zach. Zach," Frankie said it like it was a prayer, and he wanted to never forget the sound. He said it until it was meaningless, and he pushed into Zach. Frankie was now inside of Zach and every thrust made Zach groan. Then Frankie leaned down, mid thrust, and sunk his engorged fangs into Zach's inviting neck. The feeling was indescribable, and Frankie felt like he was floating outside of his body. He was sure that this was the most earthly pleasure that it was possible to achieve.

"F-fuck. Frankie, faster. Please. More. _Frankie_ ," Zach could only manage to say one word at a time as he was fucked into the mattress. He leaned up, lost in pleasure, and wrapped his legs around Frankie and tilted his neck further back to allow Frankie to drink more. How was this the same boy that had been too afraid to kiss him? Who had been afraid to admit that he liked another man? And yet, here Zach was- spread out for him and dripping with desire as their flesh became one.

" _Mine_ ," Frankie growled as he pulled his fangs out and, his hips instinctively thrusting further, came inside Zach. Zach only gripped his shoulders and keened at the feeling of Frankie cumming inside of him. Frankie leaned in and commanded Zach to _come for me, baby, I need you to come._

" _Yours_ ," Zach came all over Frankie's stomach and then he went limp. Frankie collapsed onto of him, panting, but he wanted to stay inside of Zach forever.

"God, I'm such a possessive asshole. Why do I need the constant reassurance that you're mine? I know you want me. And yet..."

"Yet, you like to hear me say the words. It's okay, Frankie, you're _my_ possessive asshole," Zach kissed him, and Frankie knew Zach was still delirious from blood loss and the rush of intimacy when he started to lick Frankie's neck. Frankie only wriggled his hips in response. 

"And I want to stay in your tight asshole..."

"Oh, god, what happened to all that poetry from before?"

" _You_. You're my poetry. I have no more words that can't be bested by the sight of your naked body beneath mine, Zach. There are no words that can describe the connection we have. There are no words to explain this love for mortal ears. What more flowery words do you want from me? I only can give you a feeble cliche- I love you."

"I love you, too, Frankie. I promise."

\-----------------------------------

In moments of weakness, Frankie thought about running away. He looked at Zach, heard him giggle and saw how full of life and love he was, and Frankie wanted nothing more than to save him from all of the pain in the world. He loved him so much that he would be willing to sacrifice his own selfish desire to give Zach a long and healthy life. His bond screamed at such thoughts, and he felt a sharp pain at thoughts of separation. He decided to tell his Mistress what had happened in hopes that she would have a solution from her infinite wisdom.

"...so is there any hope? Is there any way for me to save him? Please, oh god, you're giving me that horrible look, and I know what you're going to say. Please, Ari, I can't bear to hear it."

"If you know then what do you talk about foolish ideas like running away? If you leave him then he will...he will live a life full of hell, and you will be to blame for his misery. If you are to break the bond at this point then I'm afraid it would break him. I can feel the connection between you, and it's nothing that I've ever witnessed. I'm not sure how, but Zach has tightly wrapped his essence around yours. It would be romantic if I wasn't so afraid...what would happen if he, still mortal, would die?"

Frankie hissed at the words, and he felt the sharp pain again. 

"Don't say that, Ari. This whole situation is just spiraling out of control, and, even though I've tried to calm Zach, I can feel the pull of forces too great for me to understand. It's so fucked up. All I want is happiness. All I want is to be with him."

"Then turn him, Frankie. Bite him with the intention of changing him. Let him become one of us and save yourself this madness. Don't you know that Death's kiss will come quicker than your own?"

"I can't. 

"You can't...or you won't?"

"Both. How can I condemn him to eternal life? I love him too much," Frankie tried to explain but his Mistress only shook her head. Frankie knew that their bond was growing every day, stronger and stronger, and if Zach were to die then he might never be able to form another bond and drink again. Frankie would go mad and be driven to suicide. But if Frankie turned Zach then there was no going back, and Zach would be forced to be eighteen for eternity. He would become a creature of the night, and they would live in the darkness together. 

"You call what you're doing love? Love, if it exists, is madness, Frankie. It makes you illogical. It's turning you weak and foolish and not even I can save you from the suffering that will follow. Love will destroy you."

\-----------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting for such a long time on this fic. I ran out of inspiration, but now I have reclaimed my muse. The next chapter will DEFIANTLY be the last!
> 
> Comment if you liked this chapter/ want to read more! :D


	11. Inextricably Linked

Frankie fell to his knees, the world flickering in and out of focus, and he wondered if it was too late to pray for forgiveness. Was there anyone even listening? Zach lay before him, bruises forming around his neck, and Frankie threw himself over Zach in one final act of devotion. Was this to be his punishment for his passion? To find true love and then not be able to enjoy it?

The shadow of the council member fell over Frankie as darkness continued to ebb away his vision. Distantly, he could hear his Mistress screaming his name, but he could not move from Zach’s side. _Not now. Not ever._

His vision finally faded away, and he was engulfed by darkness. His Mistresses’ face was the last thing he saw, but the steady beating of Zach’s heart was the last thing that he felt. And the bond, stronger than ever, inextricably linked them together.

\-----------------------------------

Frankie was shaken awake, and he should have been afraid for his hands seemed to be bound behind his back with a spell. Yet, he wasn't. Frankie could sense that Zach and Ari were alive, even though he couldn't see them, and that was the only thing that mattered. His own life no longer seemed as important as Zach’s.

“We will be landing soon. The council will have a trial this very afternoon- there is no point delaying this,” The councilwoman spoke slowly, and Frankie nodded.

She leaned away and Frankie was able to observe his surroundings for a moment. They were on an airplane. The quiet told him that this was probably a private plane, and he wondered if she had been prepared for the worst case scenario. Frankie closed his eyes, resting his throbbing head against the plush seats, and wondered why he felt so calm for a man who was soon to be condemned.

“Will you tell me where Zach and Ari are?”

“Separate planes. I couldn't trust to have you three so close together. Is it extreme? _Yes_. Necessary? _Yes_. You seem like the drastic type, Grande, who would do anything for something you call love. I can’t understand nor condone such madness.”

“Yes, well, I don’t expect you to understand. Love is my Achilles heel. I fall too deep and fast, and this time it seems that I've finally found myself someplace that neither I nor Ari can pull me from. She tried to warm me, but I was too prideful to listen.”

“Why did you kill that boy, Grande? Cody seemed to deserve many things- particularly a lesson in how to treat other human beings- but not death,” she seemed curious. Frankie sighed eyes still closed as the horrific visions replayed in his head.

“I don’t know...everything was colored in black and red. I couldn't control my...The bond had become too strong. We were _suffocating_ each other long before Cody even raised his hands against Zach. Before Cody jumped him and tried to strangle him, the cord had tightened itself around the two of us.”

Even before _The Incident_ , they had become dysfunctional. Zach had come out to his closest friends and family, but he still had tried to act ‘normal’ in the school day and for all of his classmates he put up a front. Zach hadn’t been ready to come out to the whole school. He had been afraid of what his old friends, from the football team, what say. So they were forced to act as only friends in public. They had to hold their breaths and pretend, their fingertips brushing, that they weren’t in love. But lying had taken its tolls.

The real Zach was somewhere under Frankie gasping for breathe. He was on his knees begging for Frankie. He was soft and vulnerable with red cheeks. He was rude and bawdy. He was kind and wore his heart on his sleeve. The real Zach had been hidden behind closed doors and muffled by the mattress.

“We had tried to compartmentalize and separate our private life and public life. But it didn't work. How could it? For in trying to separate the two sides of our relationship, we were cutting ourselves in two. We weren't living truthfully. We weren't living fully. We held on too tightly and then let go completely. We were weaving the noose around our own necks, as I refused to change Zach, but Cody was the shove that pushed me over the edge. I snapped.”

“What a dreary and long explanation,” she mockingly yawned, “Is your plan to bore the council to death?”

“Oh, I’m sorry that my love is boring to you. But it’s fucking important to me. I have to have an explanation why I fucked up. There has to be a moral from this madness. There has to be a reason besides that I’m a grade A screw up. There was no way to change this anyways...I had seen it in a vision.”

“Wow, a vision. You must think you’re _unique_ , Grande. As if this has never happened to anyone else,” Brittany snapped, and Frankie opened his eyes to stare at the Council Women in wonder. He didn’t know anything about her, but he could tell from her narrowed eyes and the scent of blood that she was holding back tears. If Frankie could pull his hands out from the spell that bound them back, he might have tried to put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Care to share? Misery loves company.”

“Not particularly. No, Grande, I don’t have any wish to spend this last hour exchanging sob stories. But I’ll give you this- I've known of a couple bonds like yours before. Suffocating and undeniable. Unforgiving. _Inextricable._ I’m surprised that you hadn't acted up before you did. All the ones that I've seen in the last couple of centuries, if they were kept apart or the other threatened, have done more than kill one measly mortal. They have killed villages and burned kingdoms and assassinated Presidents.”

“Yes, and all I did was kill an innocent boy. How boring,” Frankie muttered and tried to close his eyes again. He wasn't sure how long he had been on this plane but the pain told him that it had been too long since he had last drank. His mind conjured images of Zach and his rich veins, and Frankie sadly ran his tongue over his engorged fangs.

“Do you think they will allow me one last drink before I am sentenced to death? Can they give me that at least?”

“There are far, far worse things they can give to you than death.”

“Well, I can’t fucking think of anything. Unless they kill Zach...and force me to live without him."

"Oh, please. You're so melodramatic. What's the purpose of that? You'd only be driven to madness, again, and try to expose our kind. Then they'd just have to kill you anyways. No, Grande, you're not looking at this in the right way. These are _immortals_ ; what is the life of one mortal to them in the grand scheme of existence? Your Mistress and I were able to alter witnesses' memories within minutes. Cody's death was unnecessary but not significant. Mortals dies everyday: fall down stairs, get a concussion, slip from their beds and twist their fragile necks. The Council does not think of it in the same small way that you do."

Frankie knew through her bitterness there was truth and a grain of hope. Although he could not forgive himself for murder, nor try to condone his actions, he wondered if the Council could be persuaded, "What are you trying to say?"

"You have been gone from the Order, Grande. Wandering for fifty years. Lifeless. Banished. You are more useful to them on their side then gone again. Just remind them."

"And Zach? Is there any way to save him?"

"Pah," she rolled her eyes at his concern, "your human baby is innocent. They are not afraid of him but the bond that is- how did you put it? - 'suffocating you.'"

"I can't break the bond."

"Oh, yes, you can. You know as well as I do that all it will take is one last bite to fix this. What has stopped you?" she laughed, a scratchy sound, and Frankie flinched.

"I won't. I can't. I...don't want to condemn him to this life. He deserves better."

"What a terribly cruel and foolish thing love is. Selflessness will not save you now. I suppose that they might let you drink one last time before you die."

\-----------------------------------

The Castle of the Council was younger than the Council itself. It only went back a few hundred years to the medieval ages. It was said that the Vampire who built it had found a dragon egg and chained the dragon inside the dungeon to keep for his own. Frankie wasn't sure that he believed in dragons, or at least he had never seen one, but he hoped that the story was true or else the chains on the walls would have held people and not a mythical beast.

The dungeon had been cleaned, there were no skeletons or rotting corpses to be found, but a simple round table at the center of the dark room. It seemed out of place, Frankie decided as he was lead to a modern chair by Brittney. The last time that he had been here, fifty years ago, he had simply stood before them.

"When are they coming? Shall I testify alone?" Frankie asked, but instead of responding Brittney looked to the door as Zach and Ari were both lead in by another Council member. Zach's eyes, which had bags beneath them, lit up at the sight of Frankie. Zach's arms were bound beneath his back by chains, but they they wordlessly pressed their foreheads against one another. Zach breathed.

His Mistress, who had not been restrained with metals or spells, wrapped them both into a hug. They had not time for words as the Council Members filed in, dressed in customary black robes, and they seated themselves around the table. The oldest and most wise member, who went by the nickname of 'Big Brother,' stood.

"We shall start the trial now. The accused will be first to speak, and We have been told that he has chosen to plead guilty for all crimes accused. Next Zach and Ari have asked to make brief statements in his defense. Then We shall consult among ourselves and the old books for guidance."

Frankie rose and spoke evenly "Council, I had been warned that it would be my idolatry that would be my downfall. After all, I had begged my Mistress for immortality because I had wanted to win another’s heart. When that love had been unrequited, the rejection and betrayal had led to my first bout of madness and murder. It would not be my last."

"I know my sin now; I have loved too much. No, I have not _loved_ but _worshiped_. I have worshiped Zach, placing him upon a pedestal, and devoted my being to this mortal. When our souls became entangled, the bond pulling us closer and closer together, I had forgotten about everything else. I had thought of nothing but passion. It was once said that 'violent delights have violent ends,' and this relationship has begun with pain and it seems that it might end that way too. If I am to die now...then I will die knowing that I was loved and loved freely in return, which is more than many can say,” Frankie could hear the words but he felt as if he was floating outside of his body and listening on, “If I am to die for the crime of passion then I can accept that verdict. For how could I have loved him any less?”

The council members bowed their heads to show that they had accepted his plea and chanted together,“The Council will judge you from their ancient laws, but a power more ancient than even us will judge you in the end."

Zach rose, "Council, Frankie was only trying to protect me. I'm to blame for telling Cody about us in the firstplace when I know that I'm not stronger then him. It was pretty fucking stupid. I just never expected him to attack me- he didn't seem the type to act- and so I panicked when he tried to choke me and pulled too tightly on the bond in fear. I saw, before I passed out, Frankie. And it...it was him, but it _wasn't_. I've never seen him like that. But he only did it to protect me. Really. So I plead with you now, Council. I...I am willing to break our bond and turn. If that is the only way to save Frankie then I am not afraid. For how can I love this man, who worships me, any less?"

The council members bowed and chanted, “The Council will judge you from their ancient laws, but a power more ancient than even us will judge you in the end."

Frankie barely had time to process his lover's words before Ari stood, "Council, Frankie and Zach have appealed to your hearts, which I hope were touched by their sincerity and devotion, but I want you to remember all that I have done for this organization. Now, imagine what Zach and Frankie can do in the future to serve you. _Dead_ \- they are worthless and I reduced to a husk of devastation. _Alive_ \- they can help the Order. Think, try to conjure an image, of how powerful Zach will be by Frankie's side. Such a powerful bond, while volatile, only means that he will be a skilled vampire. If you have forgotten what love is, sitting here in the dark dungeon, then try to remember what power is."

“The Council will judge you from their ancient laws, but a power more ancient than even us will judge you in the end."

Big Brother stood at the end of the table, no indication that their words had stirred any sympathy, and told them that the Council would now deliberate. All three of them were told to stand in the hallway with Councilwomen Brittney. She silently lead them out.

" _Zach_! How could you tell them that you would be willing to change?" Frankie spoke the first thing he thought.

"Because it's the truth, you idiot, I would follow you around for the rest of eternity. I swear that it's true," Zach spoke against Frankie's chest as he snuggled close to him. Frankie looked down at Zach's exposed neck, and he was filled with conflicting emotions: joy to have Zach close by him once more, fear that this might be the last time, and anger that he might be forced to change Zach. Frankie had wanted the change to perhaps come in due time, but now there might be no choice.

His Mistress pressed a kiss to Zach's forehead and then Frankie's, "His words might save us yet, Frankie. I am surprised, even now, that you try to withhold this. I changed you for much more feeble reasons than Zach has."

"I know what you're problem is; you're such a fucking, hopeless romantic. Want to lay me down with like roses and candles and maybe read me a gooey poem before you turn me. Just do it. The Frankie _I_ knew was never afraid of taking what he wanted. Just bite me," Zach teased trying to make light of the situation as the minutes ticked by but the door remained closed.

Frankie growled in frustration, his head was still pounding and he wasn't sure if the words he had said were enough, as he took one last drink. Zach hummed in contentment, leaning his head back, as Frankie pushed them against the dungeon wall. He tried to enjoy this moment as it slipped away. His senses tried to memorize Zach's scent, pulse, and the rhythm of his breathe.

Frankie finished drinking, hands tied behind his back so he couldn't wipe away the blood that ran down his face, and he kissed Zach on the lips. Zach didn't pull away even as he shuddered at the metallic taste. Frankie made Zach's mouth red with his own blood, and if he had use of his hands he might have been tempted to have Zach right there and then. Instead, Frankie gave him one last kiss.

" _Mine_ ," he whispered.

" _Yours_ ," Zach promised.

\-----------------------------------

The Council gave the two of them a private room with nothing in it but a bed and told Frankie that he had till morning to change his lover. Zach was eager to do it right away, but Frankie said it might be easier and less painful if they eased into it. 

"I'll miss you, like, feeding on me. Like it when you did that," Zach settled onto the bed and started to unbutton the shirt they had provided him with.

"I'll miss you blushing. And how fast your heart would pound when you saw me. And I'll miss you holding your breathe when I leaned in to kiss you," Frankie mourned as he helped Zach slip out of his pants. He admired his lover's body.

"Oh, I'll still cry. It'll just be more messy and bloody. This is fucking depressing, Frankie, you keep looking at me like I'm going to die."

"You are goi-"

"I know. I know, smartass, how you become a vampire. Come one, let's think of some nice things about turning. They gave you a chance for redemption, and I want nothing more than to be by your side. Let's imagine the _beginning_ instead of bitching about the _end_."

Frankie raised his eyebrow, "Oh,  the future will hold many wonders for us. As your maker, I’ll be in charge of training you. I'll need to show you how to seduce a tasty little mortal. I hate glamour, but I'll show you how it works anyways. You'll be famished when you awaken, and I'll have to find you all sorts of pretty boys and girls to tame your taste. Then we could feed from the mortal and fuck him in turns until we’re sated. Your senses will be heightened so when we feed from the boy you'll be able to smell his orgasm coming or hear his erratic heartbeat and see the way his eyelashes tremble when your bite down. You'll be having the best sex of your life."

Zach giggled and then turned to look up at him, "But what will it feel like when we fuck? Now that we won't have the bond anymore?"

"Even better, baby, don't you worry about that. I wouldn't have to be afraid of breaking you and could fuck you for hours," Frankie promised as he brought Zach closer to him, "And there’ll be more than just sensual pleasure. We could travel the world together and discover ourselves. I could show you the streets of Paris or maybe the ruins of Rome and then back to the skyscrapers of New York City. The world could be ours, and we would have as long as we wanted. Until the end of time. I could have centuries to worship every part of you and to fall in love with you over and over until you knew my every story and we had written a thousand more."

"Frankie?"

"Yes?"

"Can you shut up and bite me already?"

Frankie brought him close, touching him tenderly, and let his fangs sink in as they always had. But this time, as he drank, he  released his venom into Zach's bloodstream. Zach looked up at him with love, breathing slowing and heartbeat becoming more and more irregular, and Frankie watched as his eyes dimmed. The bond, which had become so tightly interwoven within them, came undone.

For a moment, the loss was too much to bear. He had grown used to the tight, comforting grip of the bond and now his mind was his own. Frankie couldn't help the tear that slipped from his cheek and dripped onto Zach.

Zach opened his eyes.

“How do you feel?”

Zach pulled Frankie down to him with one hand. Frankie could feel the new, superhuman strength filling Zach’s body as Frankie was yanked down in a fluid movement. Zach pressed their lips together again, and Frankie could sense his blood lust building inside him as the venom finished it’s course.

“Ready for this new beginning,” Zach smiled and his fangs gleamed in the torchlight.

“Together” Frankie whispered, gently kissing his neck and closing the wound, and Zach only held on tighter.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this one ;)
> 
> Comment if you enjoyed this story/ want to see more like it in the future!


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